Daily Bits

blogging

The Evolution of Bloggers

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Do you consider yourself a blogger? To be honest, blogging (and all other derivatives of the word) is an overused term, and you may find a lot of people hard-pressed when asked to give a clear definition of what blogging is. One thing is for sure, what started as an online extension of one’s personal journal/diary has gone through a lot of changes. Blogging has indeed come a long way.

In case you’re into in all things “blogging”, here’s an interesting infographic about the evolution of bloggers – the people behind these things we call blogs.

Note: The info is focused on the UK. Click for a bigger image.

Evolution of Bloggers

Significant stats include:

  • There are more male bloggers than female bloggers: 2/3 of all bloggers are male.
  • Not a lot of people read blogs – only 13% of Brits. Now the question is, do all the people included in the stats know what blogs are?
  • Not a lot of people blog – only 2% of UK Internet users.

Most popular blogs in the UK:

  • www.mashable.com
  • www.techcrunch.com
  • www.allaboutsymbian.com
  • www.coolest-gadgets.com
  • www.johncow.com

There isn’t really anything surprising in that list, is there?

Top Blogger Platforms:

  • WordPress
  • Blogger
  • Posterous
  • Tumblr

Again, nothing surprising. What do you think about the list of well known bloggers at the end of the infographic? Would you have chosen the same people for the list? Also, it would be cool to have something similar with info from the US and the rest of the world, wouldn’t it?

Infographic via Web Sourcing

Yahoo Publishes Style Guide For Web Writing

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Writing for the web is not an excuse for poor writing. This has always been a problem since there are a lot of bloggers and web site writers who have great ideas and excellent know how, but are sorely lacking in writing skills.

On the other hand, there are some good writers – in the traditional sense – who have encountered problems when writing for blogs and other web sites. Tech terms may prove to be difficult; formatting is another issue; and the list goes on and on.

Unlike academic writing, there really are no clear cut rules about writing for the web. Well, there are many rules – it’s just that we haven’t all agreed on one particular way of writing. That is, until Yahoo published its own Style Guide.

I am not that big of a Yahoo fan, but I am quite impressed that they took the initiative to create this Style Guide. It contains a huge amount of information covering the many aspects of writing for the Internet. From word lists (e.g., it’s 3D and not 3-D) to formatting tips to tips on how to write strong headlines – the Style Guide has a lot to offer.

Now I haven’t had the time to look at the Style Guide intently, but it does look promising. Access Yahoo’s Style Guide, the online version, and see for yourself. If you want the hard copy, you have to wait for it to be released on the 6th of July. I am happy to take a look at the online version first.

Let us know what you think about it.

Four Ways Blogging Can Better Your Life

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You don’t need a business to build a blog, all you need is something to say. Blogging can increase sales and popularity for a business, but it can also give you a place to share your feelings and/or your knowledge. Your blog can be a place for your own catharsis and it can be a place where you help others as well.

Blogging for yourself is kind of like journaling, but online. If you create a blog others can see and read it lets you help people and get an audience for the things you want to talk about. Why do this? Here are some ways blogging can help your life! [Read more…] about Four Ways Blogging Can Better Your Life

Four Things Every Great Blog Post Needs

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Blogging is about more than just writing some words and posting them online. You need to make sure that those words you spend time writing are found by people, and there are ways to make sure that your posts are more visible and easier to discover.

While there are numerous ways to create shareable and findable blogs, there are some key points that can make the ones you post more interesting. This won’t guarantee that they go viral, but it will make them something people enjoy reading, want to come back for, and share with their own friends.

A Title That Pulls Them In

Titles are everything in the online world, much the same as in newspapers. You want catchy headlines that make people need to read what you have to say. People love to read lists and they love to learn how to do things. [Read more…] about Four Things Every Great Blog Post Needs

6 Reasons Every Company Should Use Content Marketing

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The world of marketing is constantly changing and evolving. Practices that were common place five or ten years ago are now outdated. In the past several years, a trend has emerged that has revolutionized the way companies connect with consumers. A recent survey shows that 78% of Chief Marketing Officers now believe that future of marketing lies in content marketing.

content-marketing

 

Source

Content marketing is the creation of valuable content for the purpose of attracting consumers to a product or service. The content may be about the product itself, or related issues that will help the customer catch the vision of the company. Content marketing is most commonly found on company blogs, social media, videos and other mediums. The following are 6 reasons your company should be involved in content marketing. Some of the most common forms of content of content marketing are infographics, video, memes, interactive graphics, and more. [Read more…] about 6 Reasons Every Company Should Use Content Marketing

7 Tips for Promoting Your Music on Your Blog

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As a musician, one of the most important things you can do to self-promote is maintain a personal blog that incorporates audio clips of your music. But it’s important to do it in such a way that it doesn’t annoy users: all your plug-ins should promote a positive experience. How do you strike that balance?

WordPress offers seven key plugins that are perfect for musicians. It’s arguably the most professional and user-friendly blog option on the market: WordPress looks like a “real” website, and it’s so easy to use that even Luddites can be successful with it.

Here are the best WordPress plugins for promoting your music on your blog. [Read more…] about 7 Tips for Promoting Your Music on Your Blog