Not a Writer? Not a Problem. You Can Make Money Blogging!
Content, content, content. Content makes the web go round.
From the moment you begin researching ways to make money online, you hear WRITING, WRITING, and MORE WRITING, over and over again. There’s a reason for that and we’re going to discuss how the written word can make you money, but YOU don’t have to be the one doing all that writing. Save your paper and your wrists!
One of the hottest ways to make money online is through the power of blogging. But, what does blogging require? What do you think? What ONE thing must you do above all else in order to blog?
If you’re like the majority of people, your answer probably included…you guessed it…WRITING! After all, that’s what a blog is all about right? On your blog you are sharing your thoughts with others in the form of blog posts that you’ve written – constant writing.
Before you run for the hills, let me let you in on a little secret.
While those blog posts are necessary in order for you to be a successful blogger, they do NOT all have to be written by you.
You need content to make your blog successful, but it does not have to be written by you. Let me explain by giving you some ways to make money and keep your blog fresh without wearing yourself out or giving yourself Carpal Tunnel Syndrome before you even get started bringing in the dough.
But, first, you need to know why content so important on the Internet and especially your blog.
Why is Content Crucial?
Here are a few reasons…
First of all, people come to the web for one thing and one thing only – information. Whether they’re shopping for products to buy or looking for a natural remedy for their acne, they’re hitting the web for information, advice, and help.
If your readers find quality information from you they’re very likely to:
• Stick Around
• Sign Up for Your ezine or newsletter
• Twitter about your site
• Recommend your posts at places like StumbleUpon.com
• Sign up for your RSS feed
• Come back in the future
• Refer others to your site
Second, search engines LOVE content. The more pages you have on your website or blog filled with quality content, the better. Whether you offer product reviews, funny stories, or meaty training, quality content is rewarded by Google, MSN, and Yahoo, as well as the many other smaller search engines online.
Third, adding value to the Internet begins to establish you as an expert on your topic. By writing great information, your readers will begin to look at you as THE go-to person for information. You’ll begin attracting interview and JV requests as well.
As you can see content really is important if you want to build a successful blog or website on the Internet. Without it, your site is just another in the World Wide Web. How can people find you if they don’t know you exist? By establishing yourself and providing your readers with quality posts and other valuable information they need and want, you will see that you can easily become one of the big fish in the pond.
But, what if you don’t have time to write constantly? Or, what if you don’t like writing? You’re in luck, there are many ways to add quality information to your blog without having to write it all yourself.
Before we get to that, let me tell you that while you can create a blog purely made up of content that you don’t write yourself, I wouldn’t advise it. If you want to really resonate with your readers, you have to let them get to know you as well. Don’t shy away from writing some posts yourself, but instead use these content creation methods along with your own writing to create even more quality information for your visitors.
Where to Find Content for Your Blog?
Now that you know you need great content for your blog and why, it’s time to move on to the meat of this report. I promised I’d tell you how to get that content without wearing your fingers to the bone. So, here we go! Hang on it’s gonna be a fun ride!
1. Hire a Writer
There are freelance writers who make it their business to write articles, blog posts and more for website owners as well as bloggers. Most of these writers, also known as ghostwriters, charge per written piece and base their charges on the word count of the content you need. For instance, you can have a 300 word blog post written for X amount of dollars on the desired topic of your choice.
Normally, you will send the writer either a broad topic or even an actual title and they will in turn write the content for you following your specifications. Finding a ghostwriter is not hard, especially with the field growing by leaps and bounds every single day. The hard part is finding a writer you can communicate well with, afford, and who can write in a way that captures your voice.
Here are some tips to keep in mind when hiring a ghostwriter.
Finding a Writer
Ask for Recommendations – Ask around and see who comes recommended. You can easily get references from other bloggers, website owners, Internet marketers, and even on social media sites such as Twitter.
Search Engines – While this is an option, I would definitely ask people you know and trust for their suggestions for a writer first. Just because a person’s website makes it to the top of the search engine results and they “claim” to be an experienced writer, doesn’t mean they are.
Recommendation: Shelancers.com offers a variety of writers to choose from.
It Might Take More than One to Find THE One
Just as every blog is different, so are writers. Don’t get discouraged if you try one (or sometimes more) writer and he or she is not what you had in mind. Some writers can take any blog owner’s writing style and implement it in their articles and blog posts with no problem what-so-ever. Others don’t find it as easy.
If you hire a writer and find you don’t like their writing style or approach to a topic, move to another. I can tell you from experience; sometimes it takes going through a few writers to find the one that “gets it” and will whip out superb content that fits your personality as if you wrote it yourself.
Feedback is Crucial
When you hire a writer make sure you give them feedback once they’ve completed a writing project for you. If there was something you didn’t like about the article – the way they worded things wasn’t how you would have done it, etc. – let them know. A professional writer will be open to all types of feedback and offer to correct the issue with a re-write. By providing feedback, you are not only letting the writer know what you like and dislike about the content, but you are also building a relationship that will become very beneficial for both of you.
For instance, I know I can start writing something that’s in my head and when I get stuck, it’s nothing for me to whip it over to my writer and say “Help!” I have developed a relationship with her that allows me to feel comfortable throwing something her way without a second thought for improvement, additions, etc. I know that once she returns it to me I will not only be pleased, but it will read as if I’ve written it all myself because she and I have communicated and discussed my likes and dislikes so much that she could pass as me almost any day!
Review & Edit
I know I just said that I can send something to my writer and it would be like I’ve written it myself, but that doesn’t mean I can get away with not looking at the finished product. Even the best of writers have their off days, mine included.
Therefore, it is critical that any piece of writing you have someone else put together for you, should be reviewed and edited as necessary. Whether you’re making changes to put more of your own thoughts and opinions to it or simply adding monetization items, you must, must, must review each and every piece of content you have created for you.
2. Seek Guest Experts
You may have seen these on other blogs you, yourself frequent. Also commonly referred to as guest bloggers, guest experts are people who can provide relevant information to your readers in the form of guest posts. These are people who somehow tie in with your blog’s topic. For instance, if you own an Internet marketing blog you might consider approaching people from the following areas about submitting guest posts or becoming a regular guest expert on your blog.
• Social Media Experts
• Outsourcing Experts
• Web Design Experts
• Technical Experts
• Working from Home Experts
• Press Release Experts
• Affiliate Marketing Experts
The list could go on and on, but I think you get the picture.
You invite them to be a guest blogger on your blog, set them up with their own login information or have them submit their posts directly to you so you can post them yourself.
Give them something in return for their efforts because most guest bloggers are not paid for their posts. Many times a link back to the guest experts’ site and possibly allowing them to promote their own products or affiliates products within their post is all that’s needed. But, with the growth in popularity of guest bloggers, it’s getting a bit harder to find people who will commit. If they’re good at what they do, they will be blogging on other sites as well as yours. Try to sweeten the pot a little to get them to stick around and continue posting.
Of course, you can pay them to submit information if you’d like. As a matter of fact, I myself have one site where I pay for submissions. I monitor the submissions and if we decide it is site worthy, we pay the author for the article once it’s been published. I’ve found this helps when it comes to having a steady flow of content.
One more thing about guest bloggers you may find helpful. If you know people who are just starting out they are more open to jumping on as a guest blogger than established bloggers or business owners. However, if you aren’t ranking extremely high in the search engines, your traffic numbers aren’t all that great or your blog isn’t quite as popular as you’d like it to be yet, don’t worry. It takes some time to get there, but with the help of adding all this great content and a few other essentials, you’ll be there before you know.
3. Hit the Article Directories
Article directories are databases full of articles that authors have submitted in hopes that others will pick them up and publish them on their websites and blogs. You can find articles on just about every topic of the sun at these directories.
The catch is that you must include the author’s resource box, which normally contains information about the author and a link to their website, when you publish it on your own site. They are great sources of information, but read the articles very carefully to be sure you are getting the content you want for your website. You wouldn’t want to place incorrect information on your blog and mislead your readers after all.
Here are some of my most favorite article directories:
Ezine Articles
Free Affiliate Articles (get articles that you can monetize with affiliate links in the resource bio)
LadyPens.com
4. Create Video & Audio
Audio and video are growing ever popular online, especially on blogs. You can publish your own audios and videos or you can link to ones that others have created.
Here are some ideas for creating your own audios and videos that you can publish on your blog:
• Interviews with experts in your field
• How-to videos
• Talk radio shows and podcasts
• Training
• And more
Don’t have audio or video creation software? No sweat – you can easily create short videos on your digital camera and upload them to sites like these:
YouTube
Flickr
Blip TV
12 Seconds TV
If you’re looking for audio help, have a glance at these sites:
AudioAcrobat
Blog Talk Radio
5. Add RSS News Feeds
As you probably already know, most blogs have what is known as an RSS feed. This is where, when set up by the blog owner, readers can subscribe to the feed and be notified of new posts to the blog via email or feed readers. If your blog doesn’t have one, I highly suggest you create one. It’s really easy with the help of a site like FeedBurner.com.
Just as blogs have feeds, so do news websites such as CNN, MSNBC, etc. You can have your blog set up to receive feeds from other blogs or websites automatically. When you do this, your blog will show the posts from the other sites. Your blog is updated automatically every time a post is added to that site.
What a great way to have constant content pertaining to your topic appear on your blog. Great for indexing in the search engines too.
6. Ask Your Readers
Another great way to get content is to ask your readers to submit questions, suggestions, etc.
Their information can be turned into content for your blog in many ways:
Q & A Posts – Ask your readers to submit their questions and then answer them right on your blog.
Create a FAQ Page – As you receive questions, add them to a frequently asked questions page on your site. Each time you update the page, let your readers know.
Product Reviews – If you sell products or provide a service, ask your customers for their opinions about these things. Sometimes, they will submit full fledged reviews and you can publish those on your blog.
Testimonials – While these may not be full posts on their own, you can combine some of them and post on your blog.
7. Newsletters & Emails to Subscribers
Do you have an email list? When you send emails to your subscribers or send out your regular newsletter, do you stop at that? Start posting the updates you send to your subscribers and your newsletters or ezines to your blog as well.
Some of your subscribers may not get a chance to read your emails before they are shuffled down their inbox screen or worse yet, they may have filters that are blocking your emails altogether. This will allow them to still receive the valuable information you have to share AND give you more quality content for your blog.
Of course, if you have a list that has sensitive information that you don’t want the whole world to see, skip on posting those specific messages. One example of this would be a membership site where you send members a download link each month so they can access their member’s only information. You wouldn’t want just anybody to have the ability to get that information.
But, if you’re adding a new product to your business for instance, go ahead and post the email you send to your past customers on your blog. You’ll get more exposure for your product and added content for your blog. It’s a win-win.
8. Load Up with Private Label Rights (PLR) Content
One of my favorite ways to add quality, topic related content to a blog is with PLR. If you don’t know what PLR is, let me fill you in on this wonderful little thing.
PLR content is created specifically for those who don’t have the time, skills or desire to create their own content on a consistent basis. You can find articles, blog posts, reports, recipes, marketing materials, and even web design PLR on the Internet. Someone else writes it and sells it. You buy it and have the ability to use as you see fit – for the most part. Most PLR sites do have rules to what you can and can’t do with the PLR once you purchase it, so be sure you review those before buying.
Recommended PLR Sites:
www.EasyPLR.com
www.YummyPLR.com
www.plr.me/easyplr (special offer on that page)
www.PLRSO.com (Internet marketing content)
Now, let’s see what some of the benefits of PLR include:
Inexpensive – PLR is normally cheaper than hiring a ghostwriter. You can normally buy a pack of PLR or sign up for a membership for very little. For instance, a ballpark average cost for a freelancer to write a 500 word article might run you around 10-15 dollars. With some PLR sites, you can buy 10-15 articles for that same price.
Variety – No matter what your topic, you can probably find PLR content for sale about it. The popularity of PLR has helped make it’s availability in a wide variety of markets bigger and broader than ever before.
Limited (some not all) availability – Although PLR is not exclusively yours like ghostwritten material, in most instances the number of times a particular package will be sold is limited. At least with a good PLR seller it is. This will limit the amount of times your content will be found on someone else’s site. (But, I’m going to tell you in a minute how to avoid that, even if the PLR you purchase isn’t limited to a certain amount of buyers.)
Time-Saving – As with the other ways to find content without writing it yourself, PLR saves you a TON of time. It’s already written for you, you just have to make it your own and it’s good to go.
Recyclable – One PLR article can be used over and over again. You can repurpose the same piece of content in numerous ways:
• Post it to your blog.
• Send it to your list.
• Create your own products with it.
• Use it in your affiliate program.
• Use it in your membership program.
• And so much more.
The possibilities really are endless when it comes to using PLR. The more you use it, the more valuable that one piece of content becomes to you.
One bit of advice if you’re using PLR content:
If you decide to use PLR on your blog (or anywhere else for that matter) rework it before posting it. You want to make the content your own in some way. There will be other people on the Internet that are using this same content and unfortunately some won’t see the need to make the content their own and put it up as is. You don’t want to be offering the EXACT same information as everyone else.
Make the PLR cater to your audience and target market. Add your own thoughts to it. Put a different spin on it, whatever you need to do to make it work for your needs without simply throwing it up on your blog in the same condition you received it in. This is what will set you apart from another blogger in your market. This is what will show your readers that you can be trusted and know your stuff.
I’ve now given you 8 ways to get content for your blog without having to write it all yourself. There are other ways, but these are some of my personal favorites and most popular ways. Pick one you really like or choose a combination of them.
Up next I’ll give you some ideas for making money with all this content!
Monetizing Your Content for Passive Blogging Profits
Once you start compiling your content and adding it to your blog, it’s time to start thinking about how you can make money with your new found information. I’ve got a few ideas to help you get started, so let’s get to it – I know this is what you were waiting on wasn’t it?
1. Promote Affiliate Programs
Finding products you can promote within your content is a great way to make money with your blog. One way to do this is to sign up for an affiliate program for the items you would like to promote. Once you’ve found them and signed up you’ll receive a link (your affiliate link) that you can use to send your blog readers to the product. When they make a purchase using your link, you’ll be rewarded with commissions.
When posting your content, think of items that will compliment the content and search for affiliate programs for those types of products. For instance, if you’re posting an article that discusses using video online, you could promote the software you use to create your own videos. Do you have a product or service you love and couldn’t live without? Put together a product review and use your affiliate link to send your reader to the company’s website. A word of caution with reviews – a reader can tell if you’re just pushing a product to make a sale so be honest. If there is something you don’t like about it, tell them.
You can find affiliate programs in many places, but here are a few I recommend:
The Company’s Website – More and more business owners are realizing just how much creating an affiliate program for their products and services can increase business. Check right on the company’s website for information on how to sign up for their affiliate program.
Affiliate Networks – You can find tons of products in every market you could dream of here. Just sign up for a free publisher account, locate products you’d like to promote. That’s all there is to it. www.ClickBank.com
Free Affiliate Articles – If you’re looking for content that is ready for affiliate links visit www.FreeAffiliateArticles.com and you’ll find a bunch.
Mom Affiliate Network – If you cater to the mom market, I highly recommend checking this site out for family friendly products. You’ll also find programs to help Internet marketers and those who want to work from home here. www.MomAffiliateNetwork.com
Search Engines – Many times you can put the type of product you’re looking to promote plus the words “affiliate program” into your browser’s search feature and you’ll find lots of options.
2. Adsense
Do you see those blocks of ads on blogs and websites throughout the web that “Ads by Google” at the bottom? Those are ads published via Google’s Adsense program.
Google sends targeted ads based on the content that appears on your blog. You can sign up for an account with Google’s Adsense program for free. Once you sign up you’ll be able to set up the type of ads you’d like fed to your blog (text ads, block ads, banner ads, and more). As the content on your blog changes, Google changes the ads and you’re paid whenever someone clicks on the ads.
When done correctly, you can make very good money with Adsense, but it does take a bit of testing and tweaking to find the combination of ads that will work best for your individual blog. People are used to seeing these ads and although many people do ignore them, there are many more who will click the links and you’ll be compensated when they do.
3. Resale Rights Content
Resale rights content is content you purchase similar to PLR with one exception. You usually don’t have the right to alter the content in anyway. You purchase the content for your use and are given the rights to resell it, which allows you to then turn around sell the product yourself.
Normally, you’ll receive not only the product, but also the sales page and other web copy to add to your own website. You simply change the payment link to have it paid to you and whenever someone buys the product you get all the profits.
Master Resale Rights Content
If resale rights content isn’t good enough, there is also content you can purchase that comes with what’s known as Master Resale Rights. The difference between master resale rights and regular resale rights is:
Resale Rights – You can sell the product but you can NOT pass those same rights on to your customers.
Master Resale Rights – You can not only sell the product and keep the profits, but you also have the ability to pass resale rights onto your customers. They can in turn sell the product as their own.
Each product has specific rules on how you can and cannot use the content no matter which type you are given. Due to this make certain you take the time to read the rules before just throwing the product up for sale or offering rights to others.
Here are some examples of products that offer resale rights you might want to try for your blog:
• Small Reports Zone – Jimmy D. Brown
• Beginner Coach – Another Jimmy D. Brown product (this one has Master Resale Rights)
• Sweetie Reports – Alice Seba’s Monthly Report Club where members receive a new report each month and each one comes with Resale Rights
• FullTimeWahm – Comes with Resale Rights, although it isn’t mentioned on the sales page.
4. Create & Sell Your Own Info Products
Ok, I know you’re probably shaking your head after reading number 4. You’re probably wondering how in the world you have the time to write your own information products when you’re trying to save time and energy by NOT writing all your own blog posts. Hear me out, I promise it’ll be worth it. ?
Just like your blog posts, you can create information products that you can sell to your readers without writing all of the content yourself. The absolute best (and easiest) way to do this is by purchasing PLR content that centers around the topic of the info product you’d like to create and rework it a bit and compile it to create an eBook or guide you can then put up for sale. Here’s an example of what I mean:
Let’s say you have a blog about Green Living. One thing your readers would love to know is how to live a greener life without paying tons of money on things like solar panels, costly home additions, etc. You’ve decided you’d like to create an eBook to help them go green by making small changes to their everyday lifestyles without breaking the bank. You’d also like to show them ways they can not only live a greener life, but even save money in the process. We’ll call the product: “Go Green without Breaking the Bank: Small Changes You Can Make to Live an Eco-Friendly Life while Saving Money.”
The first thing you’d do is start searching for private label rights content that fits your subject. Next, you’ll want to compile all the PLR you’ve purchased into a logical, valuable document. Now, it’s time to add your own advice, tips, knowledge, etc. on the subject and form your finished product.
You’ve now created an entire eBook without having to write the majority of it yourself. Save your brain power for marketing your newly created product. Just remember, make any PLR you purchase your own by reworking it to fit your needs and add to or take away information as necessary.
Go to EasyPLR.com/bestplr.htm for the best PLR on a huge variety of topics.
Bonus Tip: To add value to your information product, record an audio version of your eBook and package it with the written version. You can also interview others in your field and add that too.
5. ECourses & Newsletters
Another great way to monetize your blog content is by adding free eCourses to your arsenal. You can put together eCourses that will give your readers further information about the topic of your blog.
For instance, if you run a blog about Labrador Retrievers, why not create a short 5 day eCourse that tells owners of Lab puppies the best tips and tricks for house training the newest member of their family. Or, create an eCourse that gives important information on raising Labs specifically.
You can use PLR content or take content you’ve previously posted on your blog to create your eCourses.
Grab pre-written PLR eCourses on Internet marketing topics at MostlySanePLR.com
Simply load the eCourse into your email management system (I use Aweber) and sprinkle promotions for affiliate products throughout the course. Once you have the course set up, copy and paste the HTML or JavaScript for the sign up box into your blog. Then market the course via your blog posts, on Twitter, and other places.
This brings me to the next step in making money with your blog – bringing in visitors.
6. Ad networks.
Ad networks are programs that serve ads onto your blog. Normally they pay per thousand impressions. (Usually described as CPM.) So, an ad network that pays CPM would pay for every 1000 times the ad was viewed.
There are many sites like this online and you can find them by searching google.
Click here to view some of them: http://www.easyplr.com/sell-ads.htm
Then, Drive Traffic!
I’ll be straight and to the point – without readers your blog will never make money. You need new readers and faithful ones that will keep coming back and spread the word. How do you get people to come to your blog in the first place? And, once you get them there how do you keep them?
Getting Traffic to Your Blog
Search Engine Traffic – Pay attention to keywords and phrases when you publish your blog posts and other pages. These will help your blog rank higher in the search engines and bring targeted visitors (those really interested in what you have to say) to you.
Word of Mouth – Give some incentive for your readers to tell others about your blog. You can offer contests and giveaways where the winner has to link to the contest or post a Tweet on Twitter about the contest, etc. We’ll talk more about these things in a bit.
Comment on Other Blogs – Find blogs that fit with yours and visit them, read what the author posts and make comments on their posts. When you make comments on other blogs you are normally given the opportunity to link to your site – use it!
Article Marketing – We talked about article directories earlier, but this time you’ll be the one submitting the articles for others to pick up and post on their websites and blogs. Be sure you link to your blog in the resource box so people who read the article can visit your site to learn more.
Learn how to implement article marketing in a way that effectively drives tons of targeted visitors to your blog with this – Easy Article Marketing
Hold Contests & Giveaway Freebies – Contests and free items are hot! Everybody loves a good freebie and the chance to win something. There are tons of things you can giveaway on your blog – from reports to physical products. Some people have found success with using a weekly freebie (Freebie Friday) post. Don’t be afraid to create your own free content and give your readers the opportunity to pass those things on to others. Just don’t forget to include a link to your blog within the content so they’ll know where to find more of your great information.
Here’s a free report about holding a contest on your blog:
http://www.webtrafficbasics.com/BoostTrafficwithaBlogContest.pdf
Add a Product Review Section – Create a section on your blog just for recommending products that your readers would be interested in. For instance, if your blog is for those wanting to work from home, include reviews of work at home job sites, products that help make the work at home office more efficient and things of that nature.
Everybody looks to others before making a purchase to get advice and opinions. They don’t want to spend their hard earned money on something they’ll never use or that doesn’t give them what they were hoping for. Be the one to share your opinions about products and services (don’t forget to add your affiliate links within the reviews) with your readers.
Add a Recipe Section – If it fits your market another item that is hot on the Internet is recipes. Add a recipe section to your blog and watch your visitor numbers rise. Recipes are a cinch to add to your blog and you don’t have to write them yourself. Check out YummyPLR.com to get your hands on PLR recipes you can add to your website each and every month.
WebTrafficBasics.com – Sign up for this free course where
you’ll learn how to drive traffic to your blog.
Keeping Your Visitors Around
The best way to keep your readers coming back is to offer them quality, valuable content on a consistent basis. That’s what they come for so give them what they want.
Another great way to keep your visitors coming back is to give them the opportunity to sign up to receive reminders about your blog. You can do this with an RSS feed and a newsletter or ezine. Keeping in touch with them on a regular basis, whether weekly, twice a month or monthly, will keep your blog and you fresh in their minds.
The Time is Now!
You are now equipped with more than enough information to create your own blog, or take your current blog to the next level, without typing the letters of your keyboard or spending hours of your precious time at the computer. The only thing left to do now is apply what you’ve learned.
You’ll find a list of resources I personally recommend below. You can check out the ones you think will help you and leave the ones you don’t need. Whatever you do, never, from this point on think you have to spend the rest of your life writing your own blog content. Heck no, life is too short for that, right? 
Best of Luck! I hope to see your blog making you profits and hitting the top of the best blogs lists soon!
Recommended Resources
www.Shelancers.com – Find Writers who can make you look and sound even better than you already are!
www.OutsourceWeekly.com – Learn how to automate & outsource every area of your business that is keeping you from making the kind of money that you’d like to with your blog.
www.ReliableWebs.com – You’ll need a host for your blog, if you don’t already have one set up. Find affordable hosting, whether you’re a mom or not, with excellent customer support here.
www.WordPress.org – This is where it’s at when it comes to blogging platforms. WordPress makes setting up a blog and managing all your content super-easy.
www.EasyPLR.com/bestplr.htm – Affordable, quality PLR article packs, special reports & more on lots of topics.
www.WebTrafficBasics.com – Get targeted traffic to your website with this free course.
AudioAcrobat – record audio for your blog. Turn it into a podcast with this tool.
www.BrandableStuff.com – Videos, reports, and audios that you can post on your blog (all with affiliate programs that you can join to monetize the posts).
http://www.easyplr.com/dc/free-plr.htm – Free product reviews.
FREE Pdf Reports
Enjoy these free reports to learn more about blogging:
12 Buzz Topics You Should Blog About Right Now
18 Traffic Generating Blog Ideas You Can Do Right Away
Blogging Calendar
31 Quick Blogging Ideas
7 Ways to Get Web Traffic
Moses Isaac
8 Must-Have Features to Make Your Blog Fully Functional
In this article I will discuss the features that one (a blogger) must have or include in his/her blog to make a fully functional blog that would benefit one’s self and its readers. But before that, let me tell you something. Do you know that your blog design can affect much on driving traffic to your blog and even boosting up your blog readership? Well certainly it does. As we all know, actors, models and actresses are selling out because of their looks right? because of their figure. Its just the same with your blog.
Making your blog presentable is a big promotional factor. You need to make a first impression to your audience. There’s a popular saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” but come on, we all know that cover plays an important role for a book to get noticed. Its marketing and if you’re a blogger.
You need to consider that one. Grabbing the attention of your audience is a top priority before anything else as basically when you have done that, everything else follows. When someone browse the internet and happen to land on your page or blog. The first thing that they will notice is your blogs design. If you have good looking blog, the more likely that your audience are going to stay a bit longer as they like what they’re seeing. Nobody wants to stay in an ugly blog. Its not being mean but its being realistic or practical. People wants something that is beautiful in the eye. That’s human nature. Also, having a good looking blog can build credibility as basically, having a good looking blog means effort and dedication. Which tells your audience that you are serious on what you’re doing which is blogging. On the other hand. A good blog design can be simple yet rich in features. Its not just about being intricate nor fancy. But also, it must be feature Enrich.
What is a good blog design? and what does it compose?
In my own opinion which I hope you guys would agree. A good blog design isn’t just about the layout or theme but its also about the features it contain. These features are “must have” as it will make your blog design complete and fully functional. This features makes your blog useful and gives convenience to your audience as each feature plays an important role and have a unique purpose. Without further ado. Here are the must have features that makes up a good blog design that you should include on your blog to make it as one.
1. RSS Subscription option (in a reader)
Having an RSS subscription option in your blog is a must because it enables you to syndicate your blog content, making it more convenient for you and for your readers. When you have an RSS subscription option (in a reader), you are able to send a fully summarized text, or content in a form of RSS feed to your readers or to those who subscribed on your blog.
This feature gives total convenience to your readers specially those who are so into the internet as they can easily stay informed on the latest contents on your site and even on other sites to which they subscribed without having to visit each site individually because information are sync into one place which is the “RSS Reader or feed aggregator”. So this saves a lot of time and effort and for that, many people love to use it. Another good reason why people love this feature is that it ensures privacy because you don’t have to give your email address upon subscription.
The other benefits you can get from adding an RSS subscription option to your blog is that. You are able to get in touch with others or to be specific, with your readers as they get informed whenever you create or update an article right? For this, a high chance that you will get a returning visit from your readers as they might want to comment and express their thoughts, opinions, reactions on a particular article you create.
Note that every visit is a counted traffic so having an RSS subscription option in your blog is really good because it does a lot of good things both for you and for your readers. Also, If you are promoting a product through your article. These returning visitors/readers can become a potential sale. Whether you’re promoting a product or just simply writing an article. You always make your readers informed about it. Having a subscription option on your blog will also help build your credibility or popularity because every subscription will be added on your readers count. The more subscribers/readers you have.
The more that your credibility will become stronger and the more that your popularity will grow as basically, it determines how many people likes your blog and writing.
Tip: Having a subscription option on your blog needs a proper placement. You should place it on the most visible part of your blog where people can see it right away. This will help increase your blogs subscription.
2. RSS Subscription via Email (powered by Feedburner)This feature is similar to the first one. Only though, this feature allows you to send your syndicated contents or updates straight to the email inbox of your subscribers who subscribe via email. For others, they find this subscription option more convenient because they are able to read the latest information on your blog right from their emails which is the first thing they open upon setting on their computer.
Do you agree? Well, its hard to generalize but in my case, its the first thing that i do when i open my computer. Also, this feature allows you to build your list as basically you get the emails of your subscribers by managing your feedburner email list because of this, you are able to get in touch with your subscribers even more. But , also remember to manage your list properly if you don’t want to get unsubscribe or get banned from using this feature.
You should consider and respect the privacy of your subscribers. Having this feature on your blog is a must not only because of its benefits, but also because it gives your audience the total freedom to get updated with the latest information using the subscription option that they find most convenient for them.
3. Navigation Bar–
Having a navigation bar on your blog is a must because this feature will guide your audience to the most important pages of your blog very easily. This gives your audience a convenience on finding information on your blog, specially those information that are not shown on your home page or landing page. With the use of navigation bar, these information can still be access by your audience without having a hard time. Also, navigation bars are placed on the top part of your blog and therefore its very noticeable by the audience.
4. Featured Post–
Featuring something on your blog is one of the things that you should consider. Its like telling your audience to check or read something that you want them to, in a nice manner or without being demanding. Featured posts can be in a form of recommended reading, popular articles, affiliate products review. Having this on your blog is a must because it implies confidence. This feature will also benefit you a lot specially if there’s something that you really want to be noticed by your audience.
5. Recent Posts–
Adding a recent posts feature on your blog is a must because this feature shows or gives your audience the most recent or freshest articles on your blog. Yeah, the can dig the archives for current articles but allowing your audience to get a handful of the most recent and freshest articles on your blog without having to dig is being formal and that’s what they basically like. Giving your audience the ease and convenience should be included on your top priorities as a blogger. This “recent post” feature is much the same with “featured post” but the only difference is that, this feature shows the most recent and freshest thing on your blog only.
6. Top Commenters
Top commenters feature (plugin), which is available for wordpress bloggers and in some point, to other bloggers that uses a platform that allows plugin, is a feature that will show you and your audience the persons who comments most on your blog. Typically, on your sidebar. Adding this feature on your blog if possible is a must because this will help you track very easily the persons who are so active commenting on your blog by showing you their names and even the numbers of comments they have. Knowing those who are interested in you and likes your ideas is a must, and its made easy by Top commenters feature.Another good reason why you should have this feature on your blog is that, it will attract more commenters. Specially bloggers and other webmasters because they get free exposure on your blog whenever they make a comment as their names are going to be shown on your “Top Commenters list” which is located on your sidebar. They don’t just get plain backlinks but also they get a sort of text link ad for free.
7. Ad space
Having an ad space on your blog is a must because it gives the you chance to generate more income from your blog and from your affiliate promotions. If you have a quality blog with a good amount of traffic, then you can monetize it by selling an ad space. Typically, a 125 x 125 banner ad on your sidebar or even a text link ad. Many small businesses out there are looking for this kind of advertising because they find it so convenient and they can save lots of money. Which is why having this feature on your blog is one that you should consider specially if you have a quality blog with huge traffic.
Also, you can place your affiliate promotional banner materials on your ad space and therefore, it becomes more transparent on generating a potential income.
8. Favorite Related Blogs
Having this feature on your blog is one of the things that you should consider specially if you’re just starting out because this feature will help you build relationship with other bloggers. If you add a particular blog related that you like on your list of “favorite related blogs” the owner of that blog gets a one way link from you and he/she will definitely become happy with it.
If that person finds out about what you have done, the more likely that he/she will contact you to say thank you or more, that person might return the favor as well by adding your blog on his/her list of favorites and for that, you get a free backlink which is good for search engine rankings.Now you know the 8 features that you should include on your blog to make it fully functional. Again, a good blog design is not just about the theme or template but its also about the features it contain. I hope this helps. By the way, anyone who wants to guest post on my blog? Feel free to contact me:)
Thank you and more power.
For more please visit,
www.thehiddeninformation.blogspot.com
How To Set Up A Blog
If you are wondering how to set up a blog and what the best way to create a blog is-then you have come to the right document! I’ll give you advice on which method(s) to use to create your blog depending on what kind of blog you want, whether you desire to make income from it, and how long you want to dedicate to setting up your blog.
Topics that I will help you with will be:
1. When to make a blog using a hosted blog site (like blogger.com or Wordpress.com) or to create a blog using a blog platform (like Wordpress.org, Typepad, Blogsmith, Movable Type).
2. Comparing hosted blog websites–Blogger vs. Wordpress.com.
3. Comparing the Wordpress.org blog platform to additional blog platforms.
4. Whether you should learn HTML, CSS, or some Programming.
5. What’s the best option to make money with your blog.
So read on if you desire to learn about making a kick butt blog!
Hosted Blog vs. Host Your Own Blog
Option 1) Use a shared domain blog
A shared domain blog is a type of blog costs nothing to host. You can set these up at https://www.blogger.com/start, http://wordpress.com/, etc. If you want to use this option, you’ll be creating what is called a “shared domain blog” because there will be a .blogspot or .wordpress after your blog’s domain name like http://nameofyourblog.blogspot.com or http://nameofyourblog.wordpress.com. Making a blog with a hosted blog is very simple to make and free. You can actually have a blog up and running within a couple minutes if you use blogger.com or wordpress.com!
Blogger vs. Wordpress
If you are trying to figure out which to use– I’ll tell you that both are very simple to use and set up. In my opinion, blogger is a little more user friendly while Wordpress is a little more pleasant to look at. Also, Blogger.com has nice ways to simply use Google AdSense Ads within your blog so you can earn money but Wordpress is a little more customizable.
Option 2) Use a Host (that you pay for) to Host Your Site
If you decide to use this option you would use a blog platform (like Wordpress–*from Wordpress.org and not Wordpress.com) and you pay a web host to place your blog on their servers. So then why would you want to pay and use a host you have to pay for you could use at blogger.com or worpress.com and host your blog for free? Actually, there’s several reasons:
1. You have more control over how your blog is designed.
2. You can monetize your site much better (more monetization options = more money for you!)
3. You’re blog will look more original-giving you more credibility.
If you are thinking about setting up a blog using this way the good news is it is pretty simple to do. Blog platforms can be uploaded to a server and created in a matter of minutes. There’s instructions on how to do this at all of the blog platform’s sites (ex. wordpress.org).
If You Want To Set Up Your Blog with a Host–do this:
1. Go to the host’s website and sign up for a hosting plan.
2. The majority of good hosts will place a one click installation button on their site for different blog platforms (like Wordpress, Typepad, Blogsmith, Movable Type)-so just click that and you’re ready to start blogging (it’s that easy)!
*If the host you choose does not let you use a one click installation option for the blog platform you want to have, just follow these instructions:
1. Download a blogging platform (like Wordpress (from Wordpress.org), Typepad, Blogsmith, Movable Type, etc) from their different websites.
2. Start an account with a host.
3. Upload your blog platform to the host you choose.
4. Start blogging!
Wordpress vs. the Rest:
I have tried out many blogging platforms and Content Management Systems (CMS) over the years and I have determined that the best blog platform is Wordpress. It is very user friendly, it has a huge network of people using it (and updating it and pointing out any problems it has to developers), there are tons of helpful websites and forums to assist you if are having problems, and there are a lot of ways to easily customize your blog. Also, Wordpress is venturing out and creating more complex features that other blog platforms don’t have. So, if you may want to make your blog to look more like a website that includes things like forums, shopping carts, or other advanced aspects–Wordpress is the blog platform for you. Also, Wordpress one of the most easy blog platforms to put together.
Should You Learn HTML, CSS, or Programming?
If your blog’s at blogger or Wordpress you do not need to learn these skills. Learning a couple basic codes for HTML will help customize your blog sometimes but you can always look for a certain code online when you want to do something on your blog. But, Set up your blog using a blog platform (like Wordpress from Wordpress.org) teaching yourself some HTML will definitely go a long way. I wouldn’t suggest spend a lot of time learning it however if you have a very basic skill set you can do a lot with your blog. *note-you can still set up a great blog without ever teaching yourself HTML, CSS, or Programming.
Make Money While Blogging?
Some bloggers can make a great living from just one blog! However, if you just want to blog about your life, a subject, or to get a reader base for an issue–than setting up a blog using a hosted blog site (like wordpess.com or blogger.com) is probably your best bet. Hosted blog sites are very easy to use and you don’t have to pay for hosting. That way you can just blog and not waste time with administrative things. However, if you want to create a blog to make money than creating a blog with a blog platform (like Wordpress.org) is your best option because blog platforms give you many more ways to customize your blog, all the ways you can use ads on your blog, and what types of features you can use with the blog.
I’m hoping that this article has helped you figure out the ways to make a blog. Blogging is a very fulfilling hobby but the best thing about this hobby is that it makes me a lot of money! Surprisingly there are many easy methods to earn money with your blog that will make you income for many years. If you are interested in learning how to blog and earn money, about the five major pitfalls bloggers get themselves into, and how to decide on a niche for your blog then check out this free report at my website! This has got to be the best free report out there and it is made by Jason Gazaway- a 26 year old blogging legend who earns tens of thousands of dollars a month from blogging.
–article by Steve Sick from “How To Set Up A Blog”
Related Blogging Articles
“Theoretical and Practical Applications of Emergent Technology in ELT Classrooms; How the ?Blog’ Can Change English Language Teaching”
Abstract
The classic picture of the ELT (English Language Teaching) classroom is one in which there are rows of desks, a blackboard, students, a teacher, paper and pencils. Even with the advent of instantaneous information via the World Wide Web, the ELT classroom remains relatively unchanged. However, the winds of change are upon the ELT profession. Many educators are now taking advantage of the vastness of the Internet. Moreover, most teachers are using the Internet for planning, research and the exchange of ideas. There is so much more to be found and used. If harnessed correctly and constructively, the Internet can be a priceless tool for the ELT classroom. This paper will discuss current practices for reading and writing in the ELT setting, and more specifically, the use of ‘web logs’ or ‘blogs’ in the ELT classroom. First, a discussion covering common methods used in most ELT classes and move to a more progressive approach to alternative assessment, portfolio assessment, and journaling. Next, an explanation of this technology, its uses, and potential will be given. Finally, suggestions for use, ideas, and links will be listed. The sky is truly the limit where the ELT profession is going and it is an exciting time to be involved.
Introduction
For as long as there have been schools, teachers and students, there have been words. These words are represented by symbols and letters, the words connect together to form sentences and then into speech and writing. The job of the ELT teacher is to teach these concepts, and all the nuances that go with them, to the English Language Learner. The following paper looks at the traditional ELT classroom and then moves onto how content is taught and learned by second language learners. The topic of journaling and learning logs will be covered along with how educational technology is utilized in the ELT setting. Next, weblog history, it’s meaning and uses will be explored. Finally, how easily an ELT educator can use blogs in your classrooms with little or no training. Adding more tools to the ELT ‘toolbox of materials’ is essential to effective ELT teaching and will benefit educators and learners.
The Traditional ELT Classroom
As the use of English has increased in popularity (evident by the number of current English language training centers in operation worldwide), so has the need for qualified teachers to instruct students in the language. Most colleges and universities in most of the English speaking countries offer degrees and certifications in teaching English to speakers of other languages. Whether the pupil is learning for pleasure or out of necessity, the instruction is relatively the same. The instruction to English learners remains relatively unchanged today. It’s true that there are teachers who use ‘cutting edge’ techniques and technology, but the majority of teachers still teach in the same manner of instruction that has been used for 20 or 30 years.
Here is an example of the traditional ELT classroom: usually, it will have many desks or tables and a board (white, black, chalk or marker). The students will repeat what the teacher says and then, maybe, try on their own. Often the teacher will stand in front of the class and model how his/her mouth looks as he/she says the sounds, having the students also model this behavior. Sometimes, an audiocassette or CD will be played with words, sentences and stories for the students to hear native speakers speaking. Another popular activity in these classes is role-playing. Two or three students will practice together, having a simple conversation. After having ample time to practice, or memorize their various ‘roles,’ they will stand up, maybe go to the front of the class, and recite what they have just practiced with their respective groups.
None of these activities are bad or damaging to the students. In fact, they have proven to be very useful. However, there are many more opportunities for students to gain confidence, practice, and extend themselves – especially for the ESL student who must learn the language for more than just pleasure. For students who are displaced for whatever reason or who are studying to go abroad, content is also an important factor.
Content Learning for English Language Learners
In the ELT class, the instructor needs to put the language learning of the students as a high priority. There are many ways to accommodate this. Educators will have different theories and philosophies. According to Peregoy & Boyle (2001), the six elements that create optimal content learning for ‘English Language Learners’ are: meaning and purpose, prior knowledge, integration of opportunities to use language and literacy for learning purposes, scaffolding for support, collaboration, & variety.
Meaning and purpose in each activity in the ELT class is of the utmost importance to the English learners. If the activity has meaning and purpose, then the learner will take ownership over it and then a sense of pride and confidence will result. Often the activities with ‘real world’ ties have the greatest impact. This is an element that should be present in ELT instruction from the youngest language learners to the eldest.
Prior knowledge of a subject in their home language and culture allow students to create links to topics or activities in English. For example, when talking about traffic rules in an English speaking country, the second language learners can relate their own experiences in their home countries. Of course, this will only be meaningful to students with prior knowledge of the traffic laws and rules. If the learners are too young, their prior knowledge in many areas will be limited. If old enough, the learners can relate the information from their experiences and often feel more connected to the learning community.
Integration of opportunities to use language and literacy for learning purposes is crucial to bringing concreteness to the abstract/theoretical concepts and ideas. This means that it is important to make room for learning opportunities to take place in order for students to put their newly acquired skills to work. If a teacher asks the students to review an article and share their findings with the class, the teacher is integrating chances for students to make light of what they are learning.
Scaffolding for support means that the teacher will first model the desired behavior, give assistance the first few times that the learners attempt the tasks, and finally, the learners will attempt on their own. This gives learners the skills and confidence needed to complete the assigned tasks. Scaffolding is not only used in ELT classes, but in many other subjects as well.
Collaboration is key to group learning and ultimately, to individual learning. Collaboration is used in modern offices and businesses globally. It has many ties to the skills needed to work with others in any endeavor that a person might undertake. There are very few instances in the ‘real world’ where there is not some degree of collaboration. Collaboration is of vast importance in the ELT classroom to encourage cooperation skills.
Variety is needed in lessons and activities to avoid burnout and boredom. From the adult learners of English to the youngest of learners, variety in their activities will spark creativity and excitement in almost all topics covered. When students walk into a classroom day after day and week after week, they expect some variety in their routine. If no variety is given, the students may plateau in their learning because of lack of interest.
All of these elements should be present in the ELT classroom for the educator to be effective. There are many activities in the ELT classroom that ELT teachers will use that support these points. Journaling is one of the most effective and commonly used activities for ELT and English classes alike.
Traditional Journaling and Learning Logs
The style of journaling a teacher prefers to use is inconsequential compared to the regularity of the activities involving writing and logging their thoughts and reflections. The student of English, native or not, needs constant practice and feedback. “Fluency, the ability to get words down on a page easily, can only come with writing practice and continued English language development.” (Peregoy & Boyle, 2001) Journals or learning logs are a great way to find out a student’s thoughts and ideas about a topic or activity. Often the most timid student is the most reflective writer.
Traditionally, these journals or logs have been kept on paper or in a book. It is paramount for students to have a record of their thoughts and their progress as a writer and user of English. The advent of computers, the Personal Digital Assistant or PDA, mobile phones, e-mail, and the Internet usher in a new world of recording ones thoughts. Why not take advantage of these technologies in the ELT classrooms? The next section, will discuss what teachers are doing in their classes in order that technology is used to the fullest extent.
Move to Educational Technology in the Classroom
What is technology? Technology is anything that extends human capability. By definition, paper clips and staples are forms of technology because they extend human capability. Nevertheless, paper clips and staples are ‘low-tech;’ audio, video, and computer driven tools are considered ‘high-tech,’ or commonly referred to as ‘technology.’
Most people have an e-mail address or at least, know what e-mail is. When a person looks around the World Wide Web, the “Internet,” there are advertisements everywhere for degrees and certificates in ‘Educational Technology.’ Educational Technologyis using any form of technology (high-technology, by the above definition) in an educational setting, to assist teachers in their instruction. From CD-ROM games for students to MS Power Point presentations to help explain a concept, idea, or topic, technology is here to stay so why are some teachers still afraid to use it?
The term ‘technophobe’ means a person who is afraid to use technology. Many teachers are technophobes. They are not certain or unaware that technology can help them to become better educators. It is true that not all technology is good and often can be counter-productive. However, an educator must be open to trying and evaluating new and emerging technologies to see where this might fit into their instruction. Whether or not a teacher knows it, their English language learners may be using and interacting with technology everyday. Therefore, teachers need to at least be aware of the impact technology is having on their learners.
Web logs and Their History
According to, www.blogger.com, the “Blogger” website (2004),
“A blog is a web page made up of usually short, frequently updated posts that are arranged chronologically — like a what’s new page or a journal. The content and purposes of blogs varies greatly — from links and commentary about other web sites, to news about a company/person/idea, to diaries, photos, poetry, mini-essays, project updates, even fiction. Blog posts are like instant messages to the web.”
When ELT educators look at this definition, they will instantly see where this can fit in ELT classes. Individuals, families, groups, classes, departments, schools, universities, businesses, etc. are currently all using blogs. There are hundreds of sites offering ‘free’ blog accounts for anyone. Also, according to the “Blogger” website (2004),
“Blogs are also excellent team/department/company/family communication tools. They help small groups communicate in a way that is simpler and easier to follow than email or discussion forums. Use a private blog on an intranet to allow team members to post related links, files, quotes, or commentary. Set up a family blog where relatives can share personal news. A blog can help keep everyone in the loop, promote cohesiveness and group culture, and provide an informal “voice” of a project or department to outsiders.”
Rebecca Blood is the author of several articles and books on blogging. According to Blood’s, ”Weblogs: A history and perspective” (2000), she outlines the extremely short history of this budding new medium to share thoughts, ideas and opinions. According to Blood, in 1998 there were only 23 weblogs on the entire Internet. In September 2000, there were ‘thousands,’ and with the numbers of users growing exponentially. According to “Wired News” reporter Shachtman, (2002), “…there are now more than 970,000 registered users of Pyra’s popular Blogger software, up from 343,000 a year ago.” Today, in 2004, there are probably millions.
Benefits of Using Blogs in ELT Classrooms
At this point, the reader may ask, “What are the benefits of using this technology if I do not know much about it?” The following reasons will assist in answering that question. The reasons used below are by no means exhaustive; they merely serve as a starting point to move teachers in the right direction.
Using technology is exciting for the learner. English language learners like to use and take part in activities that are familiar to them. More often than not, the learner is already using technology or is eager to learn. The technology represents a ‘fun’ and ‘interesting’ activity.
Because blogs are a form of publishing, the learner will be ‘published.’ The idea that a learner can publish their thoughts and ideas for the world to see is an exciting opportunity for the learner and the teacher. “A contraction of the term ‘Web logging,’ blogging can best be described as a form of micropublishing” (Roberts, 2004).
It creates a forum for the learner to be an individual. As mentioned above, each learner will be an ‘author.’ For some learners that is a scary idea, but some of the quieter, more introverted learners are yearning for a stage of their own.
Teacher feedback can be given instantly in the form of comments or as a response to what the learner has written. When the teacher posts a comment to an entry, the learner can read the comment instantly and even reply to the teachers posting. Learners of English need a lot of feedback and encouragement, and blogging would be an easy way to give them that ‘instant’ feedback they need.
Gives the learner confidence and pride in their work. The learner can edit/delete/save their work. It is dated and logged chronologically. This allows students to actually see the progress they are making in English. Consequently, this will give them pride and increase their confidence in using the language.
The teacher, as administrator, has control over the content of the blog. With blogging technology, the administrator (teacher) has sole management of the site. The teacher can add or delete entries as they see fit. They can also decide who can and cannot be a member of the blog.
Can lead to a life-long habit of journaling for the learner. Through the use of blogs, learners should acquire a habit that is positive and will enable them to continue to grow in self knowledge and the knowledge of the world around them.
Makes the learner more prepared for future educational and professional opportunities. While aiding with their English, the teacher is also assisting the learner to obtain new skills that will be very important in future educational and professional opportunities. The skills learned while blogging such as typing, editing, putting thoughts into words are essential for success beyond the ELT classroom. The learners will be able to use these skills throughout school and in the workplace.
Uses prior skills and knowledge (for some learners) and creates an opportunity for them to put that knowledge and skills to use in an academic setting. Many learners are already using the relevant technology at home or in school so blogging will enable them to express themselves in a medium in which they are familiar.
Provides an opportunity to individualize instruction for multi-leveled classes. In most, if not all ELT classes, there are learners with varying levels of English. Blogging allows for differentiation.
Allows for flexibility in the schedule of the learner and teacher. Being the very nature of the Internet, there are no set hours of operation (it never closes). So the learners can ‘log on’ at any time of the day or night. Learners can use blogs whenever they are in the writing mood. The same applies to the teacher.
This is not to suggest that an instructor should abandon journaling on paper. Blogs can simply add much-needed variety for the learners in the ELT classroom. Blogs are a great tool in the ELT teachers’ repertoire.
Limitations and Possible Fixes of Blogs for Educational Use
With every activity in the ELT setting there are drawbacks and constraints. Blogs are no exception. The following list of reasons is also not exhaustive, but highlights some of the most obvious limitations to using Blogs, and how a teacher might work around them.
Connection options. What happens when the learners cannot access the Internet at home or school, or their connection speeds are too slow to handle the information being passed along? Teachers who want to add blogging to their curriculum will immediately pose this question. As in other forms of teaching, instructors must always have a contingency plan. For example, some teachers might choose to allow students to work in pairs or small groups, while other teachers might arrange alternative options for individual students.
Software is not user-friendly. If the teacher has piloted this web-logging package, then the potential problems in user-friendliness should have been assessed; however, there is still the possibility of problems with some users. The teacher will need to be prepared to do some scaffolding and one-to-one tutoring for learners that have difficulty or lack prior experience.
Some learners and teachers lack typing skills. Some learners do not know how to type. Some students may not even want to learn. Ask the learner to have a try and if he or she is still have too much trouble, then more scaffolding from the teacher or assistance from a student stronger with typing skills.
Some learners are ‘technophobes.’ As mentioned earlier, a technophobe is someone afraid to use technology. This may not be a problem with most young learners, but if a teacher is working with older learners of English, then it might become an issue. An easy way around this problem is for the teacher to plan on more scaffolding than with a younger group of learners. Modeling the appropriate behavior and adding in support where needed will help to soften the shock on the technophobe.
Lack of computer availability. Some of the learners will not have access to a computer. One way to handle this is to clarify the hours for the school computer lab. If there is a computer in the classroom, the teacher can arrange a schedule for learners’ to use the computer(s).
Learners cannot understand the instructions on the website. This will be a problem area for the vast majority of English language learners. Because of their lack of interaction with the language the learner will struggle. This is where scaffolding is very important. It is also important that the teacher add extra demonstration time for the class. Being patient with the learner is also important during this foundational phase in their online learning.
Time constraints for the teacher. The first attempt at running a blog with the students will probably be the most time consuming for the ELT teacher. “It should be said that the undertaking of an online journal project [blog] requires the teacher to have a certain amount of time available” (Stanley, 2004). However, as the students and the teacher become more familiar with the format and the system, they will all become more comfortable and the time involved with decrease.
Just like any other teaching activity or assignment, blogging has some limitations. However, these limitations should not outweigh the benefits of blogging. If the ELT teacher is committed and invested into making this project work, both the students and the teacher will benefit.
The ‘Ins and Outs’ of using Blogs
The first step for teachers is to try out blogging for themselves. In this scenario, teachers cannot expect their students to do something that they are not willing to do themselves. Each teacher will have his or her own reasons for starting a blog. These reasons must be clear or the blog will not serve the learner’s language development. The blogs can be as general as a journal of daily thoughts, or be more specific in nature. The teacher should prepare beforehand, an activity that will be a catalyst for the language learner’s needs. When the teacher has had a chance to try this out first, the next step will be to choose the most appropriate software. (In a later section there is a list of links and suggestions.)
Once the teacher has chosen a program, he or she will need to set up membership for each student with the blogger site. This is often free. (Many school systems are even setting up their own blogging sites.) Then the teacher, as the administrator of the site, must make a membership list of the students so they are able to comment on the teacher’s entry. The next decision for the teacher is if the students should have their own page or to only allow the students comment on the teacher’s page. By having his or her own blog page, the teacher is allowing the student to have a certain amount of control over the blog’s appearance, content, membership, links, etc. If the learners are too young, it is probably best to let them comment on the teacher’s page/entry. For the older learners (middle school aged and older) having control of his or her own page would be more plausible.
When the control of learners’ pages is given to them, they will be able to adjust the look and feel of their blog. The learner will have the choice of various templates and formats for their page. They will have the ability to block or allow members to comment on their pages. When the learners feel comfortable with their blogs they tend to use it more. Once the learners are happy with their pages and the entries, they will continue to grow with pride and confidence.
Practical Uses of Blogs in the ELT Classrooms
The discussion in this section covers three main uses of blogs in the ELT classroom. Alternative assessment, student portfolios, and what has been the major focus of this paper, journaling. As the needs of the English Language Learner continue to change and evolve, there are requests from educators, parents, and students for other forms of assessment. Blogging can be one of these styles of alternative assessment. It gives the learners the opportunity to demonstrate what they have been learning and their thoughts on a given topic, ideas, concepts, etc. The teacher can then read the entries on the learner’s page, or those which have been posted on the teacher’s page, giving feedback, and assessing the learner’s progress.
Portfolios are another use for blogs. The portfolio can include only written work or may include other work from class. The students can display their work from the past term, semester, school year, or even, in some cases, school career. By using blogs, the students can upload photos, work samples, include links to related work, etc. This can even serve to foster skills that will be useful in the future careers of the students. Many of the students can use their portfolios in the future to demonstrate their English abilities, and prove their writing skills. The teacher can, again, use this as a form of alternative assessment.
The online journal is what is probably most appealing to the teacher. This is collection of often-updated entries. Here again is an example used earlier about the various traffic laws: Teachers might want to upload (or add to the blog) some photos of traffic signs and let the students comment on what they think the pictures represent. Then the students could elaborate on what might happen if the traffic laws pictured were violated. The teachers may want learners to compose their own story about something related to traffic. This is a simple example, but teachers would be using all six of Peregoy & Boyle’s (2001) “elements that create optimal content learning for ‘English Language Learners.’”
Suggestions and Links for More Information
As educators considering using blogs in ELT classes, teachers will need a place to get started and to stay updated in their information and knowledge. Teachers can get started in many ways. There are several books on blogging available. By using any of the online bookshops, teachers can order and ship books anywhere in the world. For more ideas on starting out, teachers might find it generally easier to look to the millions of bloggers blogging everyday. It is quite easy to find out about education blogs and specific interests blogs. Merely type a search in your favorite search engine. One that is particularly useful is “Schoolblogs.com” (http://www.schoolblogs.com). Free accounts are available for anyone who wants to join. Also, there are a multitude of resources on blogging and interest specific blogs. Another blog, that has a different style and feel, is “mBlog.com” (http://mblog.com). The users can choose from a wide variety of templates and styles for their blogs. Photos and links can be included to help supplement the blog, as well. Mobile devices, such as mobile phones and PDAs, can be used to transmit data to the mBlog account. This makes it very convenient to update blogs.
After researching and starting a blog, it would be beneficial to read the article by Blood entitled, “Ten Tips for a Better Weblog” (2003). In it, Blood, outlines the top ten tips for better blogging. It can be useful reading for the teacher and the English learner. There are terms and concepts that can make for lively class discussions. Staying updated in the blogging technology and current trends will help the teacher become more prepared and better equipped to smoothly run a blog.
Summary and Conclusion
In conclusion, the benefits of blogging far outweigh the pitfalls. Ease of use and clean appearance are making the blog a major force on the Internet. Therefore, not just the teachers teaching English language learners but any teacher need to stay up-to-date with educational trends and should stay abreast with emergent technology that will drive this information age for years to come. Technology and education should go hand-in-hand and should not be separated because undoubtedly the learner will always use technology. Blogs are a great tool to achieve many goals for English language learners and, in the long term, what all teachers desire, authentic learning. With or without blogs, teachers of English language learners need to remember the goal of what they are doing. Educating is the number one priority.
Blogs may not replace the traditional ‘hand-written’ journals, but then again they might. However, the more options teachers offer learners; the more the needs of learners are met. The ELT classroom setting needs to evolve, and for many, blogs will be the first step in that evolution. By selecting the best attributes from the past experience and looking forward to the future will produce the strongest ELT instruction. Now is the time to take action and use technology to meet the ever-growing needs of English language learners.
References
Blood, R., (2000). Weblogs: A History and Perspective. Rebecca’s Pocket, September, 2000. Online:http://www.rebeccablood.net/essays/weblog_history.html (access date: April 2004).
Blood, R., (2003). Ten Tips for a Better Weblog. Rebecca’s Pocket, March, 2003. Online: http://www.rebeccablood.net/essays/ten_tips.html (access date: April 2004).
Ferdig, R.E., & Trammell, K.D., (2004). Content Delivery in the ‘Blogosphere’. T.H.E. Journal, February, 2004. at http://www.thejournal.com/magazine/vault/articleprintversion.cfm?aid=4677 (access date: April 2004).
Oop-Beckman, L., (2004). How to Succeed In Web-Based Teaching. Essential Teacher, Vol. 1, Issue 2.
Peregoy, S.F., & Boyle, O.F., (2001). Reading, Writing, & Learning in ESL: A Resource Book for K-12 Teachers – 3rd Edition. New York: Longman.
Roberts, S., (2004). Campus Communications & the Wisdom of Blogging. Syllabus Magazine, 5 April, 2004. at http://www.syllabus.com/article.asp?id=7982 (access date: April 2004).
Shachtman, N., (2002). “Blogs Make the Headlines.” Wired News, 23 December 2002. Online: http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,56978,00.html(access date: April 2004).
Stanley, G., (2004). Introducing Your Students to Blogs. IATEFL Issues, April – May, 2004, No. 178.
Other Works Cited
Anderson, N.J., (2002). The Role of Metacognition in Second Language Teaching and Learning. ERIC Digest, April, 2002. Online:http://www.cal.org/ericcll/DIGEST/0110anderson.html (access date: November 2003).
Blogger, (2004). What is a Blog? Online: http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=36&topic=16 (access date: April 2004).
Branch, R.M., Kim, D., & Koenecke, L., (1999). Evaluating Online Educational Materials for Use in Instruction. ERIC Digest, June, 1999. Online:http://www.ericfacility.net/ericdigests/ed430564.html (access date: November 2003).
Burton, J., & Usaha, S., (2004). Standing on Burning Coals. Essential Teacher, Vol. 1, Issue 2.
Crandall, J., Jaramillo, A., Olsen, L., & Peyton, J.K., (2002). Using Cognitive Strategies to Develop English Language and Literacy. ERIC Digest, October, 2002. Online: http://www.cal.org/ericcll/DIGEST/0205crandall.html (access date: November 2003).
Earp, S., (1997). More Than Just the Internet: Technology for Language Teaching. ERIC Digest, December, 1997. Online:http://www.cal.org/ericcll/DIGEST/earp0001.html (access date: November 2003).
Egbert, J., (2004). Two Faces of Technology Use. Essential Teacher, Vol. 1, Issue 2.
Gómez, E., (2000). Assessment Portfolios: Including English Language Learners in Large-Scale Assessments. ERIC Digest, December, 2000. Online:http://www.cal.org/ericcll/DIGEST/0010assessment.html (access date: November 2003).
Haas, M., (2000). Thematic, Communicative Language Teaching in the K-8 Classroom. ERIC Digest, September, 2000. Online:http://www.cal.org/ericcll/DIGEST/0004thematic.html (access date: November 2003).
Han, J.M., (2004). A Reading Problem in Secondary Schools. IATEFL Issues, December 2003 – January 2004, No. 176.
Hancock, C.R., (1994). Alternative Assessment and Second Language Study: What and Why? ERIC Digest, July, 1994. Online:http://www.cal.org/ericcll/DIGEST/hancoc01.html (access date: November 2003).
Kasowitz, A., (1998). Tools for Automating Instructional Design. ERIC Digest, August, 1998. Online: http://www.ericit.org/digests/EDO-IR-1998-01.shtml (access date: November 2003).
Kessler, G., (2003). Preparing for the Future in CALL. Essential Teacher, Vol. 1, Issue 1.
LeLoup, J.W., & Ponterio, R., (2004). ON THE NET: ICT4LT – Information and Communications Technology for Language Teachers. Language Learning & Technology, January, 2004, Vol. 8, No. 1, (pp. 3-7). Online: http://llt.msu.edu/vol8num1/net/ (access date: April 2004).
Morrison, S., (2002). Interactive Language Learning on the Web. ERIC Digest, December, 2002. Online:http://www.cal.org/ericcll/DIGEST/0212morrison.html (access date: November 2003).
Orihuela, J.L., (2003). “Blogging and the eCommunication Paradigms: 10 Principles of the New Media Scenario. BlogTalk, May, 2003. Online:http://mccd.udc.es/orihuela/blogtalk/ (access date: April 2004).
Oxford, R., (2001). Integrated Skills in the ESL/EFL Classroom. ERIC Digest, September, 2001. Online:http://www.cal.org/ericcll/DIGEST/0105oxford.html (access date: November 2003).
Roderick-Michailidis, M., (2004). Are Your Tasks ‘Learner-Friendly’? IATEFL Issues, February – March, 2004, No. 177.
Rodgers, T.S., (2001). Language Teaching Methodology. ERIC Digest, September, 2001. Online: http://www.cal.org/ericcll/DIGEST/rodgers.html (access date: November 2003).
Salaberry, R., (2004). Why the Electronic Class Will Not Replace the Face-to-Face Classroom. Essential Teacher, Vol. 1, Issue 2.
Schrock, K., (2003). Tools You Can’t Live Without: Using Online Programs in Your Lessons Can Make a Big Difference. School Library Journal, 2003. Online: http://slj.reviewsnews.com/ (access date: November 2003).
Stevens, V., (2004). Tools for Building Online Communities. Essential Teacher, Vol. 1, Issue 2.
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Blogging Advice: Be Among The Leaders
There is actually plenty of blogging advice offered on the internet regarding what we will need to do in order to operate our blog successfully. If you’ve been thinking about assembling a blog with regard to your business, this blogging advice detailed below is designed specifically for you.
Listed below are the very best strategies an online business blogger is able to use to seek out visitors. These tips tend to be especially for new bloggers, those individuals who have next-to-no market right now and would like to get the process started however if you have been blogging for a while you still might find some useful information in the list below.
It will help if you focus on this particular checklist from top to bottom since each and every strategy builds upon the prior strategy that will help you produce momentum. At some point when you create plenty of momentum you will get what is known as “traction”, which usually is a big enough market base (around 500 visitors per day is great) which you will no longer need to work so hard in acquiring new visitors. Rather your current faithful visitors perform the actual work for you by word of mouth marketing.
Be Efficient With These Top Blogging Tips
Create A Minimum Of 5 Main “Pillar” Posts
* A pillar post is actually a mini seminar style write-up geared to educate your target audience on a specific subject. Normally they’re longer than 500 words with plenty of really useful ideas or advice. This informative article you’re presently reading through might be regarded a pillar post as it is really helpful plus an excellent “how-to” training. This brand of writing offers lasting appeal, remains current (it is not information or time centered) while offering actual worth and knowledge. The more pillars you’ve gotten onto your blog the more effective.
Create One New Blog Post Each Day
* Not each post needs to be a pillar; however, you need to focus on having the five pillars finished all at once while you keep the blog refreshing with new information as well as short brief blog posts. The biggest thing at this point will be to show your new site visitors that your particular blog will be current on a regular basis so that they feel that if he or she returns down the road they are going to most likely discover something totally new. This will cause them to bookmark your blog as well as subscribe to your blog feed.
It’s not necessary to create one post each day at all times however it is crucial one does whenever your blog is completely new. When you receive traction you will still have to keep your new content coming however your faithful viewers may well be more flexible in the event you lessen the pace to a couple each week instead. The initial few months tend to be crucial therefore the more written content you are able to generate at the moment the more beneficial.
Have An Appropriate Domain Name.
* If you’re seriously interested in blogging for money get really enthusiastic about whatever you name your blog. As a way for people to help quickly spread your message regarding your blog you will need a simple domain name to remember. People today frequently discuss blogs that they like when they’re talking with friends that are within their business circle of friends, therefore, you’ll want to make this simple for these friends to spread the word and also give your Web address. Make an effort to purchase a .com if you’re able to and concentrate on small, simple, not difficult to memorize domains instead of worrying about getting the right keywords (keep in mind if you’re able to find excellent keywords as well as easy to remember keywords then you must have done a great job in researching!).
Here is a great tool to help you find that perfect domain name: Domain Samurai
Leave Comments
* Begin leaving comments on some other blogs. After you have your own pillar articles or blog posts as well as your every day new short article posts your blog is able to be presented around the world. One of the greatest techniques to discover the ideal kind of reader with regard to your blog would be to comment on other people’s blogs. It is best to make an effort to comment on blogs aimed at the same niche subject as your own because the readers there might be much more likely to be interested with the articles on your blog.
Many blogs that you leave your comments with will let you include your name/title related to your blog whenever you give a comment. This is one way people discover your blog. If you are someone who comments all the time and who usually has something important to say, other bloggers notice your comments and if this peaks their interest they will want to learn more about your business and therefore simply click your link to see your blog.
Trackbacks and Backlinks
* Trackback and link to other blogs and forums within your blog posts. A trackback is kind of just like a blog discussion. Whenever you publish a brand new article to your blog and it links or recommends another blogger’s article you’re able to do a trackback therefore to their entry. Exactly what this really does is actually give a short overview of your blog post in their blog entry: it is kind of similar to your blog informing somebody else’s blog that you had written a post talking about them. Trackbacks usually look like comments.
This is an excellent strategy because just like placing comments a trackback leaves a link from another blog back again to yours for readers to follow, which will do something extremely important: this gets the interest of some other blogger. Another blogger will more than likely come and browse your post excited to view what you wrote concerning them. They will often later become a faithful reader of yours or at best keep track of you so if you’re blessed some time in the future they might create an article linking to your own blog attracting additional visitors.
Promote Comments On Your Own Blog.
* You’ll find the most successful strategies to encourage someone being a faithful reader is undoubtedly showing there are more faithful readers currently following your blog. When they notice several people leaving comments on your blog chances are they’ll think that the articles must be very good because you currently have readers so they really ought to stay on your site to see precisely what all of the fuss is about. To be able to really promote comments you may in simple terms present a question inside your blog post. Make sure to always answer comments to help you keep your discussion going.
Submit To A Blog Carnival
* Post your most recent pillar article to a blog carnival. A blog carnival is actually a posting inside a blog which summarizes an accumulation of articles or blog posts from a number of blogs with a particular subject. The objective would be to gather a few of the greatest content on a subject in a given week. Quite often a number of other blogs link back to a carnival host and therefore the actual people who have articles or blog posts showcased within the carnival often like an increase in new readers.
To determine the perfect blog carnival for your blog, perform a search at blogcarnival.com.
Post Your Blog To Blogtopsites.com.
* To tell the truth this particular word of advice won’t generate a ton of new visitors nevertheless it really is simple to complete and just requires five minutes therefore it is really worth your time and effort. Visit Blog Top Sites, look for the suitable category for your blog and publish it. You need to copy and paste a few lines of code to your blog to help you rank then relax and see the traffic come in. In all probability you’ll basically acquire 1-10 incoming visitors each day using this strategy however with time it could increase while you climb the rankings. Everything will help!
Submit Your Main Posts To EzineArticles.com.
* This is certainly an additional suggestion that does not generate an abundance of new readers right away (even though it could in the event you continue to keep doing the work) on the other hand it really is beneficial since you only leverage whatever you currently have – your pillar articles or blog posts. Each week take one of the pillar posts and submit it to Ezine Articles. Your post now becomes accessible to several other people who can easily republish your article on their blog or inside their newsletter.
The way you profit will be by using what is known as your “Resource Box”. You will design your own private authors resource box that is similar to a signature file in which you have one to two sentences that link back again to your blog. Anybody who publishes your article is required to include your author’s resource box which means you get incoming links. When someone who has a significant newsletter posts your article you can receive plenty of brand new visitors at the same time.
EzineArticles.com has a Wordpress plugin that is just excellent. I use it all the time. Experienced Wordpress users will be able to submit their Wordpress posts and blog entries right to EzineArticles.com. For more information on this plugin go to http://blog.ezinearticles.com/2010/03/articles-directly-from-wordpress.html
Another great place to post your articles will be at goarticles.com, articlesbase.com and worldvillage.com.
Create A Lot More Pillar Posts.
* Anything you choose to do that was previously mentioned will help you get blog visitors. Then again all of the strategies I have listed primarily work when you’ve got powerful pillars ready. Without having you choose everything previously mentioned you might attract visitors however they will not likely remain or even take the time to return? Strive for one strong pillar post each week and in the end of this year you’ll have a customer base well over 50 outstanding feature posts designed to work tirelessly so that you can attract increasingly more visitors.
I really hope you enjoyed my collection of blogging tips. Pretty much everything previously mentioned here are strategies I have put in place personally with regard to my blogs and has proved helpful for me personally; nevertheless it is most certainly not an extensive list. There are lots of additional steps you can take. Acquiring visitors is about testing to determine exactly what performs better for you as well as your market and I currently have little doubt when you decide to put some effort into this you’ll discover some sort of system which works for you.
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