11 Points that must be included in your privacy policy

1. Your privacy policy should clearly state that the email addresses or other information given by the readers who post comments or subscribe to RSS feed are not sold or traded. The information is kept private and is completely safe with you. This increases trust and encourages more readers to participate in blog.
2. Next thing to include in your policy is that it is not responsible for privacy polices of other sites or blogs that you link to.
3. Keep the privacy policy free of legal jargons so that anyone can read and understand the policy.
4. Keep the policy clearly visible in the blog, so that anyone can find it easily and go through it.
5. Reserve the right to change the policy with yourself.
6. Reserve the right to contact the readers who subscribe to RSS feed or put comment to on your blog articles.
7. Reserve the right to have information about the readers, like their location, IP address, time spent, page views, etc. which are essential for your blog optimization.
8. If you want to target a specific audience or your blog nature doesn’t allow all types of audiences, clearly mention so in your policy. Say for instance you blog is only suitable for adult readers, mention that readers must be 18 years or more to access the blog.
9. Clearly mention that the information on the blog are copyrighted and cannot be utilized or shared in any form which include print, media, electronic etc. without a prior permission from the author.
10. If you invite other authors to write on your blog, either put a disclaimer that the opinions are of the author and you or other authors necessarily does not subscribe to the same opinion or scrutinize the article from different authors before publishing them.
11. If you are writing about financials or equity markets or about investments, put a disclaimer that you may have similar interests or disown the responsibility of the consequences that may happen based on the advices posted in your blog.

Happy Blogging.

How to get other blogs link to you?

Inbound links from other blogs are essential for increasing the page rank of the blog and also to gradually expand your blog. But inbound links from other blogs are hard to come. So many bloggers comment on do-follow blogs, in forums and social media to increase their links. That’s why I got the idea to tell you how to get more inbound links naturally from other bloggers.
1. First and the foremost essential requirement is a good, innovative and unique content that other will like to link. If you have copied or have written useless stuff then it is more likely to be ignored by readers.
2. Innovativeness counts. If your posts are similar to someone else’s posts, but you have thought something which others haven’t, then you have gained an extra edge.
3. Think Unique. If you are the first to write about new things naturally you will get more links because of the first mover advantage.
4. Make a network with like minded bloggers. Make a list of these blogs and visit them regularly and comment on them. This naturally develops a bond of friendship with other bloggers and you are more likely to get inbound links from them.
5. Do not write on various things. Try to create a niche and develop a target audience. Work hard to create authority in the niche space so that other bloggers in the same niche willingly link to your blog.

Happy Blogging

Building network is an essential part of internet marketing. It is a sort of cartelization among bloggers to satisfy their requirements. It provides a ready audience and assures a certain minimum inbound links and traffic. It is also a pre-requisite if you are a novice in this field. This network will give you valuable inputs which will make your blogging experience pleasurable.
1. Make it easy for the readers to comment on the blog.
2. Use Add this button or social networking button so that readers can bookmark.
3. Join social networking sites like BlogCatalog, Entrecard, Orkut, Twitter,StumbleUpon etc.
4. Comment on other blogs.
5. Send mail with your thoughts about the articles to other bloggers.
6. Link to other blogs.
7. Bookmark other blogs.
8. Join Blogging Contests.
9. Join group writing projects.
10. Be open to accept your faults in your articles.

Happy Blogging.

5 Tips to increase Adsense Revenue

1. Choosing a non-techie subject for the blog:
People who are internet savvy are aware of Adsense and are less likely to click on the ads. Whereas if you use a topic which is not related to internet or technology, then readers are more likely unaware of the Adsense and is more likely to click on the ads, generating more ad revenue.
2. Choosing Ad format:
Skyscraper and rectangle are the most commonly used ad formats and receive huge number of clicks.
3. Optimize blog for search engines:
You receive revenue when someone clicks on the ads, i.e. Adsense pays on Cost per Click basis. To have more clicks, you need more traffic. So always optimize your blog for search engines and submit a sitemap to search engines so that you can get more traffic.
4. Location of ads:
The ads are best placed in the end of the text of blog articles or in the middle. These locations generate more revenue.
5. For Wordpress:
Use Wordpress Themes optimized for Google Adsense. These templates are designed with Adsense in mind, and ads get highly optimized by these themes. Naturally they have more potential for revenue generation.

How to convert your blog to a successful business?

Bloggers have been drawn to blogosphere for three reasons. First, for the passion of writing and showing one’s creativity. Second to earn a couple of bucks and lastly to promote a business or increase brand awareness. But Blog has developed over the years from being a mere tool for interactivity and promotion to a viable business unit, which can be harvested to create a brand of its own and earn handsome returns.
Blog has all the features of a business unit. It has inputs (i.e. innovative ideas), outputs (i.e. articles in the blog), promoters (i.e. blogger himself), clients (i.e. readers) and competitors (i.e. other blogs in the same niche). So blogging should be done in line with the best business practices followed globally.
Now, what is most important for a business? Its output i.e. its services or products that it wants to sell. The product must be unique and create a space for itself in a competitive space. So while blogging it’s essential for a blogger to write articles that stand out among the crowd. The quality and usefulness of the article alone decides the long term survival and success of the blog.
Next, question that comes is what to write about? Before just starting a blog, it’s advisable to do a market survey of your own. I have also done it before settling for a blog. The best way to do a survey is to join a blog directory like Technoratii or BlogFlux or BlogCatalog. Go through the directories and sub-directories to see the topics on which blogs are written. You should choose at least 5 topics from the directories. Then count the total number of blogs in each category to see how many competitors are there. The topic which you are comfortable with and has lower competitors is always best suited.
Once you have setup your business, it’s a must it should be marketed. If you own a shop in real world, you will always want it in the busiest places so that more people see and probably visit your shop. The same principle also applies here. Market the blog through channels that reach as many prospective clients as possible. Without proper marketing even the best blog articles will not be noticed.

If you have any queries or suggestions, please feel free to write it as comment.
Happy Blogging.

How to increase earnings from Google Adsense?

Google Adsense share earnings with publishers on Cost-Per-Click basis. In a webinar for Adsense publishers, Google gave out some interesting suggestions to increase earnings from ads, based on the knowledge they have gained over the years.
The things I have learnt from it are given in a question-answer format. If you have any other query please ask me by putting a comment.

Where to locate the ads?
Generally ads should be located within posts as they get maximum click when readers go through it. In case of posts with long texts, ads served at the bottom are most successful.

What are the most popular ad formats?
Wider ads are most popular because they actually have fewer lines. So readers don’t tend to lose interest. Most popular styles are medium rectangle and wide skyscraper.

What should be the ad color?
Ad color must blend well with the site. It must not look alien to the site design. The ads that compliments well with the site receive more clicks. If your ads are totally different and doesn’t match with site, then visitors may recognize them as ads and ignore them altogether.

Which type of ads has more CPC?
Image ads generate more CPC than text ads. So it is recommended that you turn on that option in your Adsense account.

Does Adsense for search generate earnings?
Yes, they do. Every time one searches from your search option and clicks on ads you get a percentage of earnings.

Can Adsense account be terminated by Google?
Yes, Google can withdraw all your earnings and terminate your account if it is found that you clicked your own ads or asked someone to do so. Even using automated systems that clicks ads instead of real users would terminate the account.

But one last word, it’s your blog and its unique. So experiment with different things and enjoy blogging.
Happy blogging.

Which is the right blogging platform?

There are several blogging platforms available to bloggers, most of them are free. But one should always use his prudence while selecting the platform, in line with the objectives that he has set for his blogs.
The advantages and disadvantages of the 3 blogging platforms that I am reviewing at present are listed below. Please go through it and then decide on your own.

Blogger:
Advantages:
1. Very easy to set-up and maintain.
2. Blogging can be done through mobile device and email.
3. Anyone with a google account can start a blog.
4. Allows to add Google Adsense and other Java/HTML codes to blogs. Helps to monetize the blog.
5. Allows change/edit the HTML codes of the blog template.
6. Dashboard allows managing multiple blogger blogs from a single screen.
Disadvantages:
1. You don’t own any domain space, so all the traffic that comes to your blog, ultimately goes to google as they own blogger.com

Wordpress
Advantages:
1. Dashboard allows managing multiple blogger blogs from a single screen.
2. Very easy to set-up and maintain.
3. A good social network, that helps in blog marketing
4. Great plugins available.
5. A whole range of template
6. A option of choosing from Wordpress.org (paid service) or Wordpress.com(free service)
Disadvantages:
1. No monetization of blog possible in wordpress.com through Adsense or other advertisements networks.
2. No HTML or Java Code can be added in wordpress.com
3. Cannot utilize Google Analytics for optimization, have to depend on wordpress for statistics.

LiveJournal:
Advantages:
1. Very easy to set-up and maintain.
2. Blogging can be done through mobile device and email
3. Dashboard allows managing multiple blogger blogs from a single screen
4. A good social network, that helps in blog marketing.

Disadvantages:
1. User interface seems outdated and that is a serious constraint for getting a enjoyable experience.

Why Wordpress.com sucks?

Wordpress.com is a free blogging platform for bloggers. It is a free service from wordpress.org. But it really sucks. Leave the platform if you really want to get more out of your blog. Below are the reasons that I found good enough to leave the platform and join blogger.com

1. Wordpress.com doesn’t provide full control of blog templates. They do allow adding some codes in sidebars and posts. But without template control all blogs look almost same and boring. Moreover, it prevents you from branding your blog. So even after having a good blog, with excellent posts, you are an average Joe.
2. They allow only ten widgets to add in your blog. However, you can add multiple codes to a single box. But this definitely limits the ability of a blogger to create his space.
3. No Java is allowed. You can’t even put Adsense or Bidvertiser to your blog. So earn a dollar from the blog is a distant dream.
4. You cannot embed a Youtube video for your readers.
5. You cannot add code from google analytics to see your view stats. You have to believe on the figures provided by wordpress.com

So dear readers if you think its not enough to dump your wordpress.com blog and make a start in blogger, then please put a comment with reasons.
Best of luck!!!

How to promote FeedBurner feed through Wordpress.com blog?

To promote your FeedBurner feed on your Wordpress.com site, just use FeedBurner's Publicity Tools. Please follow the following steps:
1. Click the Publicize tab in feedburner dashboard.
When you click on this feature a list of publicity-related services appears.
2. Then choose and click the Chicklet service.
The form shown below loads into the right side of the screen:
This form contains several options for buttons that promote and link to your FeedBurner feed.
3. Click the button next to the button you want to display on your site.
4. Copy the HTML code shown in the bottom section of the Chicklet Chooser. You need to paste this HTML into your WordPress.com site template.
5. From the WordPress.com Dashboard, click the Presentation tab and then the Sidebar Widget option.
6. Drag the text widget from the Available Widgets area to your Sidebar.
7. Click the right side of the widget to expand it
8. If you'd like to give this widget a title you can, but it is not required to activate the service. But you should give one because it highlights the content and the reader gives a look
9. Paste the code you copied from FeedBurner in an earlier step into the content field.
10. Click Save Changes.
After the code is saved, you should immediately be able to view your chicklet in your blog's sidebar.
Courtesy: FeedBurner.com

Why do Blogs fail?

I think the more appropriate question would be “Why bloggers fail?” instead of blog fail. I have myself started several blogs over last 2 years but failed to succeed. So, pondering over the subject, I found following are the causes behind the failure.

 

1.     Lack of motivation of the blogger. Blogging needs a lot of patience which most of the bloggers lack. This endurance test is really hard to pass and failing means death of the blog.

2.     When bloggers seek traffic desperately, they write on a number of topics, in an endeavor to reach to maximum audience possible. But lack of continuity about the topic which he was writing previously, deters readers who were regularly visiting the blog.

3.     Insufficient earning from the blog is also one of the key reasons that bloggers do not continue with posting.

4.     Lack of traffic to the blog discourages the blogger and often they stop posting thinking no one is reading. But actually the reverse should happen. Once you find that you are losing traffic, its best to write posts with new ideas. This will again generate audience interest in your blog.

5.     Blogs that write subjects that are already being told or written elsewhere, lacks the uniqueness and doesn’t survive competition. Its best to write on subjects that are unique and you have an in-depth knowledge about the same.   

How to increase traffic to blog?

Traffic to a blog is one of the key parameters of judging the success of the blog. Moreover, if you want to earn a few dollars from your blog, then it must be one of your fundamental concerns. I have tried some of the techniques myself to boost the traffic, which I am enlisting below.

1.     Nothing creates long term traffic than writing quality posts which gives value to the reader.

2.     Listing blog in different blog directories and search engines with appropriate meta-tags makes blog more visible.

3.     Commenting on blogs of the readers makes a network, which converts into traffic.

4.     80% of online users can understand English, so by installing a translator plugin the blog can cater to non-english community as well. This widens the reach of the blog.

5.     Promoting blog offline through T Shirts etc. during Blog Carnivals.

6.     Leaving trackbacks in other blogs.

7.     Participating in different Groups and Forums.

8.     Participating in blog projects and writing for other blogs which gives a backlink to your blog.

9.     Joining social networking sites.

10. Writing about controversial topics give a spike in traffic as long as the controversy stays. But I personally don’t advise you to write controversial topics only for sake of traffic.