iMark Interactive

WordPress is the most widely used blogging software out there. It provides the backdrop to some of the most visited blogs and websites. Though some of you think it can be hard to learn how to use WordPress, I assure you it is not. If you are interested in starting a blog, then the video below will show you exactly how to do it. The only caveat is that you have a web host that provides you with Cpanel. I believe that most Unix/Linux hosts install cpanel on their servers, so you shouldn’t have a problem. If you are looking for a host to start a blog on your own domain, then look for one that has Cpanel.

If you are not sure what Cpanel is, then I will just give you a quick run-down. Cpanel is like your website management console. You can add email addresses to your hosting account, create new subdomains, add new domains to your account. You can create new databases and add cool features like WordPress. Cpanel is your instrument panel for website management. The best part about Cpanel is that you can install WordPress with a few easy steps through a great add-on called Fantastico. It usually comes with Cpanel, but if your host does not have it, then you might want to ask. Below is the detailed video of how to install WordPress through Cpanel. Let us know if you have any questions or comments.

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This is a guest post by Chris Johnson. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here.

HootSuite is a great platform for an avid social network person or company to manage their networks in one place.  This platform makes it easy to keep everything updated without having to login into every other location.  It makes it easy for anyone that deals with a lot of platforms to keep it all organized.  The best part is that HootSuite is currently free.

HootSuite has outdone themselves with a new integration with WordPress, one of the most popular blogging platforms in the world.  Now you can post a new entry to your blog along with managing your twitter account and others just in one place.  They made it easy to create a new post and post links, images, and more.  There is nothing better than making social media easy and Hootsuite has done it.  If you are thinking about something to help you with managing your social media experience, then I would suggest trying out HootSuite as we do not know how long it will be free.  All you have to do is enter your wordpress login credentials in the settings page and you are ready to post to your blog.  I suggest trying it out with a simple test post before you start posting everything from HootSuite as you might  not like how it works or might like other features.  Either way, you cannot complain with how easy they make it for us social media crazies.  Check out a sample video from HootSuite on the new integration below.

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With so many blogs being created each and every day, what makes your blog any different?  Are you blogging for personal reasons, or blogging in order to make some extra cash?  What is your understanding on the topic that you blog about?  These are just a few questions that you need to ask yourself as you continue to blog.

Most of us blog in order to provide a resource to others on the internet.  It might just be for personal reasons and you just want others to have information that they have gathered over the years.  Some blog in order to provide a resource, but to also make some money online while blogging.  Either way, there are a few things that need to be done in order to keep your blog active and growing.

The most important aspect of blogging is deciding which topic you want to blog about.  If you are blogging for personal reasons, then it becomes a little easier.  Most people that are blogging just to be blogging decide to pick their topic based on their experiences or which topic excites them or what they might be passionate about.  If you are blogging to make money online, make sure you are choosing a topic that you have experience in or that you are also passionate about.  There are many people out there that choose a blog topic based on how much money they could make or which topic is most popular among internet readers.  This is a large mistake because most people that choose these topics cannot keep up the blog without the proper information on the topic.

Another important aspect of blogging is that you continue to write quality posts throughout the life of your blog.  A lot of new bloggers that start a blog never continue after a month or two because they run out of topics to write or they just stop writing all together.  It is wise to come up with topics to write about, but schedule them to post at different intervals to keep your blog current.  This is easy to do when working with most blogging software.  If you come up with a few topics at once, then write them up and schedule them to post a day apart, so it looks like you are updating and refreshing your content.  Remember, Content is King and search engines love it.  Without new content, your blog will become stale and your readers will drop off.

If you continue updating your content, then you need to make sure that you continue to add new readers and visitors.  Without new readers and visitors, then your blog will become useless and no one will even know your opinion on your topic.  You should update your RSS feeds and make sure to have a way for your visitors to subscribe to your RSS feed via email.  You have to constantly market your blog for new visitors especially if your using your blog as a way to make money online.  Many bloggers use Feedburner as a way to publicize and monetize their RSS feeds for everyone to use and keep updated on your blog.  There are many blog directories where you can list your blog as well for visitors to find.  This will also help with SEO purposes.  Think about making an aboutus.org page for your website.  This is free and like a wiki format.  There are many ways to market your blog, but you have to continue doing it in order to succeed.

So if you are blogging for personal or commercial reasons, you have to remember that content is king and keeping it updated is a must.  There are many ways to add new content to your blog, but you have to just do it.  Leaving your blog updated is the most important way to keep it going.  You can also let guest bloggers write content for your with their ideas about the blog topic.  Choose a topic that is important to you, but that can make your some money if you choose to go this route, as well is a topic that has a lot of information available and is easily updated.  Good luck with your blog and keeping it going and hopefully it will become useful to readers and visitors.

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As the internet ages and online marketing gets harder, companies need to now think about using social media as a marketing medium.  If your company is not using social media as a way to attract new customers, then you really need to think about starting.  Social Media outlets include blogs, twitter, facebook, you tube, and more.  These are great venues to build your brand online.

One of the most important things about online marketing is building your brand and keeping your brand awareness with your customers.  The easiest way to do so is with social media.  Not only good to build brand awareness, but you can also use it to solve any customer service issues or any negative feedback that you might find online.  It makes it easy to stop negative feedback when it starts, so it gives you a better reason to fight negative comments.

Twitter is an easy way to tell your customers what you are doing right when you are doing it along with giving your followers deals that no one else can get.  You can also use twitter to answer customer questions and provide information about your business and products.

Facebook is also a good way to build your brand and keep your customers up to date with what you are doing and what products/services you are now carrying.  It is easy to setup an account and build your own company page.

Not every business can use You Tube, but if you sell products and you can provide video reviews of these products, then youtube is a great venue to be at.  Anyone can sign up and post videos, so provide your customers a great way to see who you are and what information you can give them.

Creating your own company blog is a great way to voice your opinion about your industry and to let customers know what you are doing in your company.  They are easy to setup and can be a very good asset when trying to convince customers to do business with you.  Most hosting platforms include wordpress, which is one or the most popular blogging platforms.

No matter which social media outlet you choose, or all of them (this is preferred), you can keep your brand well protected and keep your customers happy as well.  Many companies are creating positions in their marketing teams that is for people to runt their twitter, youtube, facebook, etc accounts to make sure that they are looking good in the eyes of their customers.  Social media is not going away anytime soon, so make sure your company is utilizing it.

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