The best way to keep readers coming back to your blog is to provide high quality content that is updated on a regular basis. But how do you get the readers to find you in the first place? In Technorati’s recent research on the State of the Blogosphere 2008,  they explored the ways that bloggers attracted readers to their sites.  The assumption was that once the readers came to the site, and discovered the great content and the engaging personalities of the bloggers, they would bookmark the site and eagerly return. The following are the top ways the surveyed bloggers chose: 83% listed their blog on technorati (all blogs surveyed had been registered on technorati – so this number may have some bias) 77% comment on other blogs 73%... [Read more]

Kristen King at BizChicksRule is giving away two Epson 600 All in One Workforce  printers – but you have to act fast! The contest is easy – but it ends tomorrow just before midnight EST! I have an Epson 600 and have been really impressed with it.  Since I live in a small (600 sq ft) apartment, I really appreciate the all-in-one features – it works as a printer, a copier and a fax machine. Also I really hate all the wires that seem to accompany the many electronics we have in these two small rooms! Since the Epson is wireless, there were no new wires to worry about tripping over!! It prints quickly and quietly.  Recently when we have had company staying with us, they were able to log onto our wireless network and easily... [Read more]

Technorati research on the State of the Blogosphere 2008 confirms what Laura and I have been saying for quite some time:  Bloggers frequently write about Brands.  Specifically they found that: 82% post product or brand reviews 89% post about brands they love (or hate) 63% post about company information or gossip they hear about   79% post about every day experiences in stores or with customer care This is consistent with experiences that Laura and I have discussed in which bloggers have written posts about their experiences with Steak and Shake, Target, and Dell, among others. This is important to Businesses because Bloggers influence customer’s perspectives.  Bloggers have credibility because they themselves are customers. ... [Read more]

Recently I’ve been citing statistics from the State of the Blogosphere 2008 research done by Technorati. You may have heard the expression:  “There are lies, damn lies and statistics” That’s because while statistics sound like facts (all those numbers!) they can be misleading if you don’t pay close attention to what is being said. For example, statistics commonly talk about “the average”, as in “the average blogger”. In this context, “average” usually means the statistical mean. In other words, if you want to find out how much the “average” blogger earns from his or her blog – you add up all the revenue a bunch of bloggers make, and divide that amount by... [Read more]

In my last post, I mentioned that high revenue bloggers earn an average of $19,000 annually, and that the top 1% earn $200,000, according to the State of the Blogosphere 2008 research done by Technorati. I thought you might be interested in learning more about how professional bloggers make money. The answer is: (drumroll please!)……………………………… advertising. Bloggers use any combination of the following: Search ads  (38%) Display ads (28%) Affiliate Marketing Links (20%) Paid Postings (6%) Rich Media Ads (4%) While 46% of bloggers don’t have any ads, 28% use three or more methods of advertising. Of those who use advertisments, two out of three have contextual ads... [Read more]