Tag Archives: why blog?

Is This Just a Big ‘Ole Waste of Time?

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So it’s a new week. I want to try something new in my blog.

I’ve spent a good deal of time talking to you in this blog, recommending the latest and greatest blogs on Areavoices, offering blogging tips, etc.

I think it’s time to get more of you involved.

It dawned on me last week when I read a blog post from Roxane Salonen. I promise she’s not paying me to keep mentioning her. I just mentioned her Peace Garden Mama II blog on Mother’s Day and now I’m drawing your attention to a post she made in her Peace Garden Writer blog called: “Reasons why blogging isn’t a waste of time”

Naturally, the title alone piqued my interest. After all, I spend a good deal of time encouraging people to write blogs and one of the arguments I hear most often against doing so is: ”I just don’t have the time!”

I get it. We live in chaotic and crazy world. To effectively promote your business or yourself these days not only do you have to engage in traditional marketing, advertising and promotion, you have to maintain websites, Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Flickr and the list goes on. It can seem overwhelming.

But I often tell would-be bloggers that it’s not always about adding one more thing to your “To Do” list, it’s about taking a good, hard look at that “To Do” list and trying to figure out how to make them all work together.

So the question for you bloggers out there is : HOW DO YOU FIND THE TIME TO BLOG?

I want to start a dialogue on this blog to help some folks who might be on the fence about starting a blog. Post your comments here and let’s start talking. Personally, I like what Roxane said in her blog post:

“Time is important to me, and I’m not going to undertake pursuits that don’t make good use of my time. But contrary to what it might seem on the outside, blogging is much less taxing and more valuable than what some believe.”

Thanks Roxane! No wonder I keep mentioning you.

Areavoices 101 – More FAQ’s

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(This blog post was last revised on May 16, 2011)

Here are answers to some of our most frequently asked questions…

 

 

How do I sign up for a blog?

Easy. Just go to www.areavoices.com and start creating your profile. That profile will enable you to build a social network, leave comments on other’s blogs and create your own blog.

Who can blog? Anybody and everybody.

What if I already have a blog somewhere else? That’s okay. We’re not asking you to take it down. You’re welcome to have blogs outside of your blog at Areavoices. However, it can be time consuming and unnecessarily work intensive to maintain more than one blog. Some bloggers who started off trying to maintain two blogs end up primarily posting just to their Areavoices blog. 

How long does my blog need to be?

It’s totally up to you. You are the author and editor. You can decide to tap out a few quick paragraphs one day then the next day post your version of “War and Peace.” Just remember, people are busy and sometimes you’ll get your message across more effectively if you keep your blog post on the shorter side.

How often do I need to post?

Again, that is up to you. If you just blog for fun, as an outlet for your writing, just post whenever the mood strikes. But if you’re blogging for promotional reasons the more often you blog the more often your message is read. In the blogging world, fresh is everything. Bloggers are constantly updating their posts. To keep in the race, your blog should be updated frequently.

How many people write blogs on areavoices?

The number is constantly changing. But as of the date of this post nearly 3,000 people are writing blogs on Areavoices.

Who owns Areavoices and what relationship does that have with the local newspaper?

Areavoices is owned by Forum Communications Company which also owns 36 newspapers, television and radio stations across North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

How can I get my blog on my local newspaper’s website?

Each newspaper, television and radio station within Forum Communications selects blogs that they would like to feature on their website. They find them by frequently searching for blogs they think their readers would like. If you think your blog would appeal to newspaper readers just let your local paper know that you would like to be a featured blogger. They’ll take it from there.

How can I get my blog to show up on other parts of the newspaper’s website?

 The key is tags. Those are the keywords that help describe the contents of your blog topic. For example if I write a blog about my favorite casseroles, I would make sure I use the tag word “FOOD.” By doing that, not only will my blog appear on the home page, but also on the Life/Food section of the website.

What does it mean to be a featured blogger?

Each newspaper, television and radio station within Forum Communications Company selects blogs from areavoices that they would like to feature on their websites. As of this date about 500 blogs are featured blogs on the newspaper, television and radio websites. As a featured blogger, your blog will be seen on the paper’s home page and within inner sections of the webpage as well, depending upon the topic of your blog post (food, travel, sports, etc.)

How does a blog get chosen to be featured?

In a variety of ways. It’s my job to go into the community and recruit potential bloggers. I’m also constantly perusing our blog roll to see who is blogging and what they’re blogging about. If I see something I like,  I send an email to the FCC properties to recommend them as featured bloggers. Sometimes, the newspapers themselves come across bloggers they like and they choose to feature them. I’m always open to suggestions. If you write a blog or read a blog you think should be featured, just send me an email: tracy.briggs@fccinteractive.com. Remember, some of the most popular web search topics are particularly appealing as featured blogs. They include blogs on the following topics: family, food, health, money and travel. But again, don’t just write a blog on these topics because you think it’s more likely to be featured. Write about what you love. If you love to write about music or cross stitching or clog dancing – do it. Your passion for the topic will shine through and it will be a better blog than if you write a blog about health just because you think that’s what people want to read.

Once my blog is featured where will it be seen?

It depends what FCC properties feature you. But on any given FCC website, your blog post will be seen on the home page soon after you make that post. Five blogs are seen on the home page at any given time. As soon as other featured bloggers make posts it rotates out and your blog will fall off the home page. However, if you put appropriate tags on your blog post, you’ll also be seen on the inner section of the website. For example: If I write a blog about food at 10:34am I’ll see my food blog appear on the home page a few moments later. By the afternoon, my blog will probably have been replaced on the home page by other featured bloggers who posted more recently. However, if I put a tag on post with the word “Food” my blog will still be seen under the Life section, under the Food ab. Blogs will stay in these inner sections far longer than they will on the home page.

How many people will read my blog?

It depends on whether you’re a featured blogger and where your blog is featured. In all, FCC newspaper, television and radio websites reach approximately 1.6 million people a month. You’ll get concentrated readership in the 4-state region (ND, SD, MN and WI) but it can also be read around the world. It is possible for you to track the number of people reading your blog from day to day.

Does Forum Communications Company edit or censor my blog?

No. You are the author and editor. However, we will keep an eye out for inappropriate or obscene material and can choose to remove a blog if it is deemed necessary.

I’m a little worried about inappropriate comments people will make about my blog. How can I manage them?

Easily. As you set up your account, you determine how you will manage your comments. You can choose to allow unmoderated comments, moderated comments, or no comments at all.

Can I add pictures and video to my blog?

Absolutely! We encourage it. To see how, go to http://support.areavoices.com

What if something goes wrong with my blog on the technical side?

We’ll help you. Go to the support blog at http://support.areavoices.com.   Or Email us at support@areavoices.com for questions or call Lindsey Guajardo at 701-451-5642.

What if I don’t get my registration email?

First give it a few moments. If you still don’t get the registration email, check your spam filter. If you still don’t see it, email us at support@areavoices.com, go to our blog at http://support.areavoices.com or call Lindsey at 701-451-5632.

Areavoices #101 – Why Blog on Areavoices?

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You can blog just about anywhere. So why would you choose to set up a blog on areavoices?

Besides the fact that those of us who work here are fabulous people, we can point to concrete reasons why areavoices is a great choice:

1. Great Local and Regional Coverage – Areavoices is a great place to reach people in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. If you want to be read by your friends and neighbors this is the place to be. Some areavoices bloggers are chosen as featured bloggers on Forum Communications Companies 35 newspaper and broadcast websites. That means while your neighbors are reading the top news stories of the day or checking the weather forecast they have easy access to your blog as well. Sometimes, it might be right on the home page of the website. Other times, it could be featured in a special section of the website (life, sports, etc). Even those not featured on the website can be found easily by clicking on the areavoices link. More than 1.3 million people in the four state region go to an FCC-owned property website every month. That’s a lot of people who might see your blog!

2. A Trusted Resource – Forum Communications Company is a trusted, established family owned organization. It started with the founding of a small semi-weekly newspaper back in 1878 and  eventually grew into what is now a mult-media company spanning 4 states. Being associated with Forum Communications and Areavoices lends a stamp of credibility to your blog. You know us. You can trust us. You know where to find us if you have questions or problems with your blog.

3. A Network of Friends -  Areavoices, through it’s WordPress software. enables you to manage and build an audience and help that audience connect with each other! For example, let’s say you write a blog on cooking. Your readers can find other readers interested in cooking. They can share stories and track other similar blogs on topics they might like (cooking, wines, baking, etc). By being connected, they get more information and are able to keep up to date with the latest topics in their areas of interest. You’ll also be able to share private messages with your readers. You can also send messages to multiple readers and come up with a detailed profile of yourself tailored to suit your audience.

That’s the just the beginning! 

Coming soon on Areavoices #101 – I know I want to blog. Now WHAT do I write about?????

AreaVoices 101 – Why Blog?

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So you can’t decide whether you should start a blog? What’s it all about? Is it worth my time and effort? Only you can answer that questions. But millions of people around the world call themselve bloggers and the number is growing every year. In fact, I’d love to give you the exact number of people around the world who have blogged at least once. But analysts say that number is virtually impossible to track. People start blogs everyday. Some are very active. Some blog once and then forget about it. If you’re on the fence about blogging,  The Area Voices Community wants to help you out. Here are 5 quick reasons you might want to start a blog.

  1. It Gets Your Voice Heard  – Some people are frustrated with the media. Others simply feel the media doesn’t cover what they care about. Either way, blogging could be the answer. Traditional media (TV, radio, newspaper) are going through some tough times. Thousands of journalists have lost their jobs in recent poor economic times. The news is getting covered, but with fewer reporters, photographers and editors the number of stories may not be where it once was. Enter the community blogger. Bloggers are everyday people who have something to say about a topic. Many are not journalists, but they have information they wish to share. Alongside traditional media they are a powerful ally in information sharing and delivery.
  2. You Get to Share Your Passion – Let’s face it. Some traditional news content is a little dry. It’s the who, what, where, when, why and how. Just the facts ma’am. Bloggers have passion about their topics. Most don’t make a penny from their posts. Their payback is sharing a passion about something they love, whether it’s fishing, cooking or square dancing.  When people write about something they love it’s usually pretty fun reading. Their passion comes through every word on the post.
  3. You Get to Build an Online Community – Take the aforementioned square dancing blog. Pete and Polly have loved square dancing for 30 years. Polly starts a do-see-doe blog. Readers find her. They leave comments. Soon they’re sharing information about square dancing. These are people from Pete and Polly’s own backyard or they might be square dancing enthusiasts from Croatia. How else would Pete and Polly have connected with these people. Do they square dance in Croatia?
  4. Blogs are built for search engines. Millions of people search for millions of things everyday. Search engines LOVE fresh content and your blog might just get top billing. Just make sure you’re putting in the right keywords and tags and people will find your blog. If you write a blog about your travels across Minnesota and you make a post about the North Shore, somebody from across the world searching for a North Shore vacation can access your material. And not only that, but years from now, your memories of your travels to the North Shore will be documented, organized and easy to find.
  5. And finally, as one of my co-workers said, “It’s just fun!”  She is a smart and talented working woman, but she has a passion for knitting. With her knitting blog she’s able to get away from her routine and have a little fun writing about something she loves.

Why not give it a shot?

You can get more information about starting a blog at www.areavoices.com.

Next on AreaVoices 101 – Why blog on AreaVoices?

Coming soon on The Area Voices Community: AreaVoices 101

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Thanks to all of you who’ve sent me emails asking more about what it takes to set up a blog. I’ve heard some great ideas from you everything from baking to bird watching.

I’ve also gotten a lot of questions:

What should I blog about?

How long do they need to be?

How frequently should I post?

What’s so cool about blogging is the power is all with you. You get to decide the topic, the length and how frequently you post. And Area Voices and Word Press is making it extra easy to sign on and get started.

Starting tomorrow I’ll be zeroing in on the many questions surrounding blogging. Why should I blog? How do I decide what to blog about? What is the etiquette of blogging. Those topics and more will be addressed in this blog under the category “AreaVoices 101.”

Get ready for class. Tomorrow: Why Blog?