Incorporate Social Bookmarking into Your Blog

<h1 style="font-size:20px;margin:0.25rem 0px;padding:0px 0px 0.5rem;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-bottom-style:solid;border-bottom-color:rgb(204,204,204);color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"><br></h1> <p class="Byline" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">When you create a catalog of linksyou want to bookmark on a social bookmarking site, you can share that list with others on your blog.<i>Social bookmarking systems</i> like<a disabled href="http://del.icio.us/" style="color:rgb(1,69,138)">del.icio.us</a> and <a disabled href="http://ma.gnolia.com/" style="color:rgb(1,69,138)">Ma.gnolia.com</a> are great ways of collecting, saving, and sharing your bookmarks.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">You have access to all your Web site bookmarks from any computer from anywhere, and those bookmarks are organized and labeled in ways that make sense to you so that they're easy to find again (and not how a search engine thinks they ought to be labeled). Conveniently, your bookmarks are saved on the Web, so you always have access to them, no matter what computer or browser you're using.</p> <p class="Tip" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Social bookmarking is especially cool for groups who are researching the same topic — imagine working on an academic project with a group where you all pool your Web research, or planning a family vacation.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Because bloggers have long shared lists of links with each other (usually in the form of blogrolls), this is a great service to use for your audience. For some <i>link bloggers</i> (link bloggers blog mainly about cool or interesting Web sites they find), social bookmarking has come close to replacing the need for a blog. Social bookmarking can even be used to generate your blogroll.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Both Ma.gnolia and <a href="http://del.icio.us">del.icio.us</a> turn your bookmarks into an RSS feedthat can be followed using a newsreader or any software that understands RSS. Ma.gnolia even publishes a feed that can be understood by phones!</p> <p class="Tip" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Some blog software can aggregate content using RSS and display it on your blog; you can use that functionality to display your Ma.gnolia or <a href="http://del.icio.us">del.icio.us</a> feed.</p>

Incorporate Social Bookmarking into Your Blog

When you create a catalog of linksyou want to bookmark on a social bookmarking site, you can share that list with others on your blog. Soc...

Read more »

Incorporate Social Bookmarking into Your Blog

<h1 style="font-size:20px;margin:0.25rem 0px;padding:0px 0px 0.5rem;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-bottom-style:solid;border-bottom-color:rgb(204,204,204);color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"><br></h1> <p class="Byline" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">When you create a catalog of linksyou want to bookmark on a social bookmarking site, you can share that list with others on your blog.<i>Social bookmarking systems</i> like<a disabled href="http://del.icio.us/" style="color:rgb(1,69,138)">del.icio.us</a> and <a disabled href="http://ma.gnolia.com/" style="color:rgb(1,69,138)">Ma.gnolia.com</a> are great ways of collecting, saving, and sharing your bookmarks.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">You have access to all your Web site bookmarks from any computer from anywhere, and those bookmarks are organized and labeled in ways that make sense to you so that they're easy to find again (and not how a search engine thinks they ought to be labeled). Conveniently, your bookmarks are saved on the Web, so you always have access to them, no matter what computer or browser you're using.</p> <p class="Tip" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Social bookmarking is especially cool for groups who are researching the same topic — imagine working on an academic project with a group where you all pool your Web research, or planning a family vacation.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Because bloggers have long shared lists of links with each other (usually in the form of blogrolls), this is a great service to use for your audience. For some <i>link bloggers</i> (link bloggers blog mainly about cool or interesting Web sites they find), social bookmarking has come close to replacing the need for a blog. Social bookmarking can even be used to generate your blogroll.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Both Ma.gnolia and <a href="http://del.icio.us">del.icio.us</a> turn your bookmarks into an RSS feedthat can be followed using a newsreader or any software that understands RSS. Ma.gnolia even publishes a feed that can be understood by phones!</p> <p class="Tip" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Some blog software can aggregate content using RSS and display it on your blog; you can use that functionality to display your Ma.gnolia or <a href="http://del.icio.us">del.icio.us</a> feed.</p>

Incorporate Social Bookmarking into Your Blog

When you create a catalog of linksyou want to bookmark on a social bookmarking site, you can share that list with others on your blog. Soc...

Read more »

Create an Avatar to Represent You in Your Blog Profile

<h1 style="font-size:20px;margin:0.25rem 0px;padding:0px 0px 0.5rem;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-bottom-style:solid;border-bottom-color:rgb(204,204,204);color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"><br></h1> <p class="Byline" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">An <i>avatar</i> is a visual representation of yourself, often a comic or cartoon. Instead of a photo in yourblog profile, you can use an avatar!</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">You can portray yourself in avatar form on any Web site that lets you set an avatar or photo for use with a profile, like Facebook, Digg, Flickr, and so on. And, of course, you can use your avatar on your own blog.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Here are a few resources to use to create an avatar:</p><ul class="level-one" style="padding:0px 1rem;margin:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px"> <li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><a href="http://www.zwinky.com/" style="color:rgb(1,69,138)">Zwinky</a> is a fun Web site that lets you a build cartoon version of yourself, customizing everything from skin tone to hairstyle to clothing accessories.</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><a href="http://www.meez.com/" style="color:rgb(1,69,138)">Meez</a> offers a fun interface with lots of customization to help you build a virtual you. Use the Meezmaker to pick skin color, hair color, clothes, jewelry, even the right environment.</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px">Another site you can check out is associated with the release of <i>The Simpsons Movie.</i> At<a href="http://www.simpsonizeme.com/" style="color:rgb(1,69,138)">simpsonizeme.com</a>, you can replicate yourself as a Simpsons character, right down to Moe's hair and Homer's nose.</p> </li></ul><p class="Tip" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">If those sites don't offer what you're looking for, try searching for <i>"free avatar</i><i>" </i>using your favorite search engine.</p>

Create an Avatar to Represent You in Your Blog Profile

An  avatar  is a visual representation of yourself, often a comic or cartoon. Instead of a photo in yourblog profile, you can use an avata...

Read more »

Create an Avatar to Represent You in Your Blog Profile

<h1 style="font-size:20px;margin:0.25rem 0px;padding:0px 0px 0.5rem;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-bottom-style:solid;border-bottom-color:rgb(204,204,204);color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"><br></h1> <p class="Byline" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">An <i>avatar</i> is a visual representation of yourself, often a comic or cartoon. Instead of a photo in yourblog profile, you can use an avatar!</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">You can portray yourself in avatar form on any Web site that lets you set an avatar or photo for use with a profile, like Facebook, Digg, Flickr, and so on. And, of course, you can use your avatar on your own blog.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Here are a few resources to use to create an avatar:</p><ul class="level-one" style="padding:0px 1rem;margin:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px"> <li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><a href="http://www.zwinky.com/" style="color:rgb(1,69,138)">Zwinky</a> is a fun Web site that lets you a build cartoon version of yourself, customizing everything from skin tone to hairstyle to clothing accessories.</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"><a href="http://www.meez.com/" style="color:rgb(1,69,138)">Meez</a> offers a fun interface with lots of customization to help you build a virtual you. Use the Meezmaker to pick skin color, hair color, clothes, jewelry, even the right environment.</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px">Another site you can check out is associated with the release of <i>The Simpsons Movie.</i> At<a href="http://www.simpsonizeme.com/" style="color:rgb(1,69,138)">simpsonizeme.com</a>, you can replicate yourself as a Simpsons character, right down to Moe's hair and Homer's nose.</p> </li></ul><p class="Tip" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">If those sites don't offer what you're looking for, try searching for <i>"free avatar</i><i>" </i>using your favorite search engine.</p>

Create an Avatar to Represent You in Your Blog Profile

An  avatar  is a visual representation of yourself, often a comic or cartoon. Instead of a photo in yourblog profile, you can use an avata...

Read more »

MyBlogLog Builds Community with Blog Visitor Activity Tracking

<h1 style="font-size:20px;margin:0.25rem 0px;padding:0px 0px 0.5rem;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-bottom-style:solid;border-bottom-color:rgb(204,204,204);color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"><br></h1> <p class="Byline" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"><a href="http://www.mybloglog.com/" style="color:rgb(1,69,138)">MyBlogLog</a> is a tracking and community tool that allows<a class="" href="http://m.dummies.com/DummiesArticle/MyBlogLog-Builds-Community-with-Blog-Visitor-Activity-Tracking.id-124093.html#glossary-blogger" style="color:rgb(1,69,138)">bloggers</a> to bookmark and share favorite <a class="" href="http://m.dummies.com/DummiesArticle/MyBlogLog-Builds-Community-with-Blog-Visitor-Activity-Tracking.id-124093.html#glossary-blog" style="color:rgb(1,69,138)">blogs</a>, display cool widgets, and keep track of what blog visitors find interesting.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">MyBlogLog says it's in the business of helping you identify what your readers like about the content of your blog. The side result has been to create a community-building service, which the folks at MyBlogLog are pretty happy about, too!</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Using a combination of RSS,tagging, and other tools, MyBlogLog tracks what links your visitors click when they visit your blog (and not the ones to your own site), letting you know where you're sending people. If you keep a blog where you refer people to other Web sites, MyBlogLog can help you know whether you're doing a good job of choosing resources to share.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">The key feature of this service is the MyBlogLog community badge that you can display on your blog. As a MyBlogLog member, when you visit a site with this badge, you're added to a badge displaying your profile information. It's an instant community!</p>

MyBlogLog Builds Community with Blog Visitor Activity Tracking

MyBlogLog  is a tracking and community tool that allows bloggers  to bookmark and share favorite  blogs , display cool widgets, and keep t...

Read more »

MyBlogLog Builds Community with Blog Visitor Activity Tracking

<h1 style="font-size:20px;margin:0.25rem 0px;padding:0px 0px 0.5rem;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-bottom-style:solid;border-bottom-color:rgb(204,204,204);color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"><br></h1> <p class="Byline" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"><a href="http://www.mybloglog.com/" style="color:rgb(1,69,138)">MyBlogLog</a> is a tracking and community tool that allows<a class="" href="http://m.dummies.com/DummiesArticle/MyBlogLog-Builds-Community-with-Blog-Visitor-Activity-Tracking.id-124093.html#glossary-blogger" style="color:rgb(1,69,138)">bloggers</a> to bookmark and share favorite <a class="" href="http://m.dummies.com/DummiesArticle/MyBlogLog-Builds-Community-with-Blog-Visitor-Activity-Tracking.id-124093.html#glossary-blog" style="color:rgb(1,69,138)">blogs</a>, display cool widgets, and keep track of what blog visitors find interesting.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">MyBlogLog says it's in the business of helping you identify what your readers like about the content of your blog. The side result has been to create a community-building service, which the folks at MyBlogLog are pretty happy about, too!</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Using a combination of RSS,tagging, and other tools, MyBlogLog tracks what links your visitors click when they visit your blog (and not the ones to your own site), letting you know where you're sending people. If you keep a blog where you refer people to other Web sites, MyBlogLog can help you know whether you're doing a good job of choosing resources to share.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">The key feature of this service is the MyBlogLog community badge that you can display on your blog. As a MyBlogLog member, when you visit a site with this badge, you're added to a badge displaying your profile information. It's an instant community!</p>

MyBlogLog Builds Community with Blog Visitor Activity Tracking

MyBlogLog  is a tracking and community tool that allows bloggers  to bookmark and share favorite  blogs , display cool widgets, and keep t...

Read more »

Blog beyond Your Own Site and Invite Guest Bloggers In

<h1 style="font-size:20px;margin:0.25rem 0px;padding:0px 0px 0.5rem;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-bottom-style:solid;border-bottom-color:rgb(204,204,204);color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"><br></h1> <p class="Byline" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">If you want to build a community around your blog, participate in others' blogs — and be on the lookout for bloggers who you'd like to invite to make an appearance in your own blogosphere as a guest.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Start out by finding blogs that are related to the topic areas of your blog. Jump into the conversation by offering a different perspective or feedback to the blogger or to the folks who leave comments.</p> <p class="Remember" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Mentioning your site on other blogs is fine, as long as you make sure that your comments relate to the subject at hand and add to the conversation.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Also, don't just write and leave. Keep active in the communities in which you are a member and use that time to connect with others. Take what you can from the community, but also give back what you think will benefit everyone as a whole. Remember that participating in these communities might even give you ideas for your own blog, so you're likely to benefit in several ways from the time you spend on these blogs.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">You can also share links between your blog community and related blogs that you want to support. Offer to set up a type of network where you can share content between sites. Anything is possible; all you need to do is ask.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">If your blog is attracting a significant number of daily readers, you can request members of your community to help you out by guest-blogging on your site. Depending on the software you're using, you can either set up private sub-blogs or allow them to post to the main page of your site. Being able to provide other insight and information from your community "experts" is incredibly cool, and you might be able to build a series of posts from other bloggers into your site.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">This kind of blogging trade off is a great way to have multiple voices filling out the content on your site and providing a richer experience overall for your readers.</p> <p class="Remember" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">These relationships are great to have when you get sick or want to take a vacation — tap your guest-blogging community for help covering your blog while you aren't around to do it.</p>

Blog beyond Your Own Site and Invite Guest Bloggers In

If you want to build a community around your blog, participate in others' blogs — and be on the lookout for bloggers who you'd lik...

Read more »

Blog beyond Your Own Site and Invite Guest Bloggers In

<h1 style="font-size:20px;margin:0.25rem 0px;padding:0px 0px 0.5rem;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-bottom-style:solid;border-bottom-color:rgb(204,204,204);color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"><br></h1> <p class="Byline" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">If you want to build a community around your blog, participate in others' blogs — and be on the lookout for bloggers who you'd like to invite to make an appearance in your own blogosphere as a guest.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Start out by finding blogs that are related to the topic areas of your blog. Jump into the conversation by offering a different perspective or feedback to the blogger or to the folks who leave comments.</p> <p class="Remember" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Mentioning your site on other blogs is fine, as long as you make sure that your comments relate to the subject at hand and add to the conversation.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Also, don't just write and leave. Keep active in the communities in which you are a member and use that time to connect with others. Take what you can from the community, but also give back what you think will benefit everyone as a whole. Remember that participating in these communities might even give you ideas for your own blog, so you're likely to benefit in several ways from the time you spend on these blogs.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">You can also share links between your blog community and related blogs that you want to support. Offer to set up a type of network where you can share content between sites. Anything is possible; all you need to do is ask.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">If your blog is attracting a significant number of daily readers, you can request members of your community to help you out by guest-blogging on your site. Depending on the software you're using, you can either set up private sub-blogs or allow them to post to the main page of your site. Being able to provide other insight and information from your community "experts" is incredibly cool, and you might be able to build a series of posts from other bloggers into your site.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">This kind of blogging trade off is a great way to have multiple voices filling out the content on your site and providing a richer experience overall for your readers.</p> <p class="Remember" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">These relationships are great to have when you get sick or want to take a vacation — tap your guest-blogging community for help covering your blog while you aren't around to do it.</p>

Blog beyond Your Own Site and Invite Guest Bloggers In

If you want to build a community around your blog, participate in others' blogs — and be on the lookout for bloggers who you'd lik...

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Stay in Touch with Your Blog Community with E-Mail Options

<h1 style="font-size:20px;margin:0.25rem 0px;padding:0px 0px 0.5rem;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-bottom-style:solid;border-bottom-color:rgb(204,204,204);color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"><br></h1> <p class="Byline" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Offering e-mail delivery of some or all of your blog content to your readership can attract users who aren't comfortable with some of the fancier technologies, such as RSS. Try these three tactics with e-mail options for your blogs:</p> <ul class="level-one" style="padding:0px 1rem;margin:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px"><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px"> Allow your readers send a blogpost to a friend that might also be interested.</p></li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px">Let your users sign up for e-mail notifications when you post something new to your blog.</p> </li><li><p class="first-para" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:24px">Invite your readers sign up for an e-mail newsletter that supplements your blog or recaps recent blog posts of interest.</p> </li></ul><p class="Tip" style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Many blog software programs have a built in "Tell a Friend" or "Email a Friend" functionality. If you turn on this feature, every blog post is accompanied by a small icon or linkthat, when clicked, lets your reader fill out the name and e-mail address of a friend and send an e-mail notification about your blog post to them. It's like free marketing.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Setting up your blog to enable users to sign up for e-mail notifications when a new blog entry is posted is an easy way to reach users who aren't up on newsreaders and RSS. Allowing them to sign up and also to remove themselves from your e-mail system puts them in control of the situation, too, which means you won't be contributing to the spamproblem. The <a href="http://www.feedburner.com/" style="color:rgb(1,69,138)">FeedBurner</a> site gives you the tools to set up an e-mail notification/subscription tool.</p>

Stay in Touch with Your Blog Community with E-Mail Options

Offering e-mail delivery of some or all of your blog content to your readership can attract users who aren't comfortable with some of ...

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