Free and Useful Online Resources for Designers and Developers » Wordpress

I’ve Got a Blog, Now What Do I Do? [Slideshow]

AN Jay — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 09:41:41 +0000

These days we all are noticing that thousands of new blogs are starting every day to get in the race of influential blog of the industry. But only few of them could survive and stay in the battlefield fighting with existing giants. Well, I know this is not possible to fight but yes they at least try to find their place in the market. Well, to be honest many of the blogs owners really dont know how to get the word out about them and inspire their first time visitors to come again to create a strong community.

A friend of mine Syed Balkhi at WPBeginner recently created and launched a really useful and directive slideshow to make the new blog owners lives easier than ever. As the title of slideshow says everything “I’ve Got a Blog, Now What Do I Do?”, it would be enough good if someone will really want to do something to establish their blog in decent period as after reading this you guys would not need to invent the wheel again. huh! I mean he put all of his experience and mature understanding in this slideshow to deliver the actual knowledge that anyone could wish.

This slideshow consist worth-checking 50 slides which covers decision to start a blog to setting up and launching then content selection to excellent copywriting. After this, using all the possible platforms to spread out the word about your blog like getting you active on social media e.g. twitter, digg, reddit, stumbleupon etc for getting massive feedback on your posts. In short, it has so many things that you can learn to enhance your blog’s future and increase your reader base.

I’ve Got a Blog, Now What Do I Do?

I’ve Got a Blog, Now What Do I Do? – Presentation Transcript

I’ve Got a Blog, Now What Do I Do?
The Holy Grail of Blogging
Syed Balkhi
Founder of WPBeginner.com
@wpbeginner
What is WPBeginner?
WordPress resource site launched on July 4th, 2009.
In less than a year, this site has been mentioned in Wired Magazine, Webmonkey, Mashable.com, Problogger.net, Smashing Magazine, and others.
Top twitter users like Robert Scoble, Darren Rowse, Jeremy Schoemaker, John Chow, Neil Patel, Mashable, and countless others have retweeted @WPBeginner.
Right Now:
This site has a Google Pagerank of 6.
Alexa Rank of 13,000.
Over 50,000 backlinks.
Total Social Media and RSS Following of over 34,000 users.
All in less than a YEAR with $0 spent on advertising.
To Rent Or To OWN??
Credit: Seier and Paddy
DID YOU GET IT RIGHT?
GOALS, GOALS, GOALS
“A brand should strive to own a word in the mind of the consumer.”
Al Reis and Laura Reis
Don’t make it Confusing!
Del.icio.us
vs.
Delicious.com
Credit: Tinypoems
PEOPLE ARE SHALLOW!
Credit: Prakhar
CONTENT IS KING
Must Have WordPressPlugins
- Akismet
- All in one SEO Pack
- Contact Form 7
- WP Super Cache
- WP-DB Backup
- Subscribe to Comments
- Google XML Sitemap
- Comment Redirect
All of these plugins are free and can be found in the WordPressPlugin Directory.
Thank YOU
Analytics
(S)(E)(O)
Write for the peopleNOT the bots…
Website’s don’t link to other websites. It is the people who point to other people‘s work.
User (SEO) Friendly URLs
/%category%/%postname%/
Use AIOSEO Properly
Link Baiting
- List Posts
- Contest / Giveaways
- Free Tools
- Controversy / Attacks
- Be the First (NEWS)
Credit: Toon Refugee
BEAUTIFUL DESIGNS CAN GET YOU A BACKLINK
SEO Checklist
- XML Sitemap
- Semantic Web Markups
- Image Tags (Alt=“”)
- Rel=nofollow
- Limit External Links
- Increase Internal Linking (Related Posts)
WHY SOCIAL MEDIA?
“Word of Mouth Advertisement is the most effective form of advertisement”
TO GET CONNECTED.
TO GET NEW USERS.
TO INTERACT WITH READERS.
TWITTER
TWITTER CHECKLIST
- Custom Background.
- Good Profile Photo.
- Multiple Profiles??
- Interesting Tweets.
- Use Hashtag
- Retweet Button
- Don’t Whore Yourself.
It’s not about the Quantity.
Eat. Sleep. Tweet.
SCHEDULE YOUR TWEETS
Twitter can be distracting.
Use Hootsuite.com or Tweetdeck to schedule tweets.
Twitter is the 2nd highest traffic source on WPBeginner.
Twit-baiting
Check out @wpbeginner if you have any questions related to #WordPress
Win a free copy of @templatic#WordPress Themes from @wpbeginner – http://bit.ly/aaNjVo (Simply RT to Enter)
“Twitter Search is the best place to find new clients.”
FACEBOOK
“Facebook is the opiate of the masses.”
- Karl Marx (Modified)
FACEBOOK CHECKLIST
- Fan Page.
- Custom Fan Page URL.
- Custom Landing Page.
- Facebook Share Button.
- Facebook Like Button.
- Don’t SPAM other fan pages.
DIGG. SU. REDDIT.
THE DIGG/Reddit EFFECT
#1 Rule, don’t abuse digg or reddit.
Don’t submit your own content.
Neither Digg nor Reddit has any SEO advantages.
“Not every article deserves to be bookmarked”
BLOG COMMENTS
Advantages
Top Commentator Backlinks.
Brand Identity due to Gravatar.
Connection with the Blogger (That’s how I met Darren Rowse).
More Exposure and Traffic.
GUEST BLOGGING
Nice way of Stealing traffic and bringing it to your website.
Guaranteed Exposure
Get Paid to increase your reputation and get traffic to your website.
Forums
Digitalpoint Forums
Problogger Forums (Paid Access)
Namepros Forums
Sitepoint Forums
WPTavern Community
NETWORK!!
- Exchange Backlinks.
- Retweet each other.
- Guest Blogging.
- Social Media Votes.
REVISIT YOUR GOALS
TIME TO QUIT? (EXIT STRATEGY)
PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL
Build TWO brands.
@syedbalkhi and @wpbeginner
Leverage them to help each other grow.
Great exit strategy and excellent for new startups.
Resources
http://www.wpbeginner.com/

http://www.balkhis.com/for-starters/how-to-launch-a-new-blog-successfully/

http://problogger.net/

http://mashable.com/

http://fuelyourblogging.com/
Who am I? How to Reach me?
Syed Balkhi
Founder of WPBeginner.com
CEO of Uzzz Productions (uzzz.net)
Contact:
Email: admin@wpbeginner.com
Twitter: @wpbeginner / @syedbalkhi
Facebook: http://facebook.com/wpbeginner

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Congratulations To The Winners Of Magic Members WordPress Plugin

AN Jay — Mon, 31 May 2010 10:16:27 +0000

Thanks to all of the participants of contest in which you could Take A Chance To Win Single License Of Magic Members WordPress Plugin. We ran the MySql random query and selected these commenter to give them Single License Of Magic Members WordPress Plugin.

Magic Members is a premium WordPress Membership Plugin that turn your WordPress blog into a powerful, fully automated membership site. This WordPress membership plugin, takes your membership site to the next level with the ability to control access to different levels across your membership site. The ability to offer different membership access to different areas, such as a download area, increases value for your membership levels.

In addition to the different levels of membership, you are also able to set different membership billing options with an unlimited amount of subscriptions. Whether you want to charge daily, weekly, monthly or even annually, you will have complete control in how your members pay for their subscriptions. For example, ‘Standard’ memberships may pay monthly, while ‘Premium’ memberships pay annually.

You may expect to pay $2,000 – $3,000 for such an easy to use, full-featured membership application that does not require you to switch to a different system. Magic Members is a fully integrated WordPress membership and subscription plug-in that quickly takes your blog from an ordinary blog to a powerful membership site.

Congratulations to all the winners from SmashingApps.Com. All of the winners will be contacted in few days. If you are not winner at this time so please be patient and keep visiting here or subscribe to our rss feed, you can follow us on twitter because we are coming up with another new great contest in couple of days.

Thanks to Magic Members for sponsoring this wonderful contest at Smashing Apps.

If you want to conduct any contest at Smashing Apps just contact us and send us all the details.

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Take A Chance To Win Single License Of Magic Members WordPress Plugin

AN Jay — Thu, 20 May 2010 22:16:39 +0000

Magic Members is running a contest, where winners will get 5 single user license (worth $97 each). Well, you guys know what Magic Members is. Lets say it once again for n00bs.

Built specifically for WordPress blogs, Magic Members will easily create your membership site. The easy-to-use interface gets rid of the “technical” side, allowing you to create and manage your membership site without worry.

This contest will run from May 20, 2010 to May 27, 2010 and we will select the winners randomly by running MySQL query. Result can be announced any day before May 30, 2010 so keep visiting here or subscribe to our rss feed to get the latest updates. To participate in the contest and win free license of Magic Members, All you have to do is just :

1. Just leave a comment.
2. Use valid email ID in the email box.
3. Not necessary, but you can subscribe to our rss feed and follow us on twitter as well. (To track this contest and for future updates)
4. And thats it!

So what are you waiting for now? Let’s participate in the contest and good luck!

SWF & FLV Player

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Congratulations To The Winners Of WordPress Theme And jQuery Template By FlashMint

AN Jay — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 17:30:40 +0000

Thanks to all of the participants of contest in which Win A Copy Of WordPress Theme Or jQuery Template By FlashMint. We ran the MySql random query and selected these 16 commenter to give them WordPress Theme And jQuery Template By FlashMint.

FlashMint is a leading and incomparable Flash Templates provider known to supply web masters with the exclusively sufficient collection of premium web layouts together with the most helpful and supportive service.

WordPress Themes (2 licenses for each template)

WordPress Themes by FlashMint comprise innovative possibilities allowing to use interactive options within your website powered by WordPress. Satisfying contemporary web design technologies, Flash Animated WordPress themes possess premium quality and ingenious design ideas making your site the most vivid and dynamic source on the web.

Flipbook photo blog wp flash template

Won by Radwa samir and aamir shah

Travel blog wordpress theme

Won by pina and Paul

Freelance writer wordpress theme

Won by Silvio and drahendra

Movie actor wordpress theme

Won by camilia and Abdelhadi Touil

Photographers blog flash animated wordpress theme

Won by Jen and HeriNXI

Skylab design studio wp theme

Won by flashscope and Dawg Digital

jQuery Templates (1 license for each template)

jQuery Templates developed by FlashMint will become an excellent solution for establishing a stunning dynamic website which will stand out by premium quality and high grade design. Using our unique jQuery templates you will be able to create any online presence you need for your particular purposes with minimum time and effort no matter whether it is a personal home page or a corporate project. You are not required to possess any development skills to set up a live and vivid website which will look unmatched and impress your every visitor due to the superb facilities of our exclusive jQuery Templates.

JQ Studio jQuery template

Won by Debbie Chiang

Crazy design portfolio JQuery template

Won by antonio de castro

Accordion jQuery Studio template

Won by Ayaz Malik

Strawberry jQuery slider template

Won by Optimize Guyz

Congratulations to all the winners from SmashingApps.Com. All of the winners will be contacted soon. If you are not winner at this time so please be patient and keep visiting here or subscribe to our rss feed, you can follow us on twitter and do not forget to become our fan on facebook as well. because we are coming up with another new great contest earlier next week.

Thanks to FlashMint for sponsoring this wonderful contest at Smashing Apps.

If you want to conduct any contest at Smashing Apps just contact us and send us all the details.

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Now Make Your Blogging Life Easier Than Ever With WordPress For iPad

AN Jay — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 21:51:27 +0000

We have got a great news for bloggers who use wordpress as their blogging platform and who do their best to keep their blog updated with latest news/happenings but they could not do the best due to functional limitation of wordpress for smartphones. Now WordPress made it easier for you if you are planning to have your Apple’s recently released iPad.

When everyone is curiously watching the release of Apple’s iPad, WordPress just announced the release of their optimized version of iPhone OS to take advantage of the iPad’s new user interface. It will really make your blogging life easier than ever before. Let me tell you how…

You may want to post update from anywhere (while you are on the move) but who knew that it would be like that easy as today after this release. Now write, add photos, check your spelling, and even create links without having to write a single line of code or HTML. While writing if you are not comfortable, just rotate the screen. WordPress will automatically adjust to a more comfortable widescreen layout to enjoy the iPad experience.

Yeah, it’s never been easier to stay in touch with your readers while you are not on the computer. But from now on you can moderate, edit, or reply to comments. It will also help you to quickly moderate bulk comments through the easy to use interface.

I agree it’s not necessary but it would be fun though to share your location when you post to your wordpress blog if you are out somewhere. Just tap the Geotag icon on the Write screen, and watch as WordPress locates you on the map. It’s a great way to share where you were when you posted to your blog. But we have to wait for Geotagging features because it will be available on the iPad when the 3G model comes out in late April.

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75+ Truly Useful Tutorials & Colorful Resources For Designers To Discover The Best Of The Web In March

AN Jay — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 00:51:15 +0000

We are always in search of great free resources, tips, tricks, etc. for our readers. Every day we work hard to find new resources and inspiration for designers like you. Today, we have another great post, “Discover the Best of the Web” on SmashingApps. In this, we made a list of 75+ Truly Useful Tutorials & Colorful Resources For Designers. We obviously cannot cover all the best from the web, but we have tried to cover as much as possible.

You are welcome to share if you know more best of the web in the month of March which our readers/viewers may like. Do you want to be the first one to know the latest happenings at SmashingApps.com just subscribe to our rss feed and you can follow us on twitter and do not forget to become our fan on facebook as well.

Design Tips, Tricks and Tutorial

”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””

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Win A Copy Of WordPress Theme Or jQuery Template By FlashMint

AN Jay — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 12:18:07 +0000

FlashMint is running a contest, where winners will get 12 wordpress template and 4 jQuery template licenses of (worth $55 each). Well, you guys know what FlashMint do. Lets say it once again for n00bs.

The screenshots of the WordPress themes and jQuery templates are available below and you can click on the template name or the screenshot to view the full preview of the theme.

WordPress Themes (2 licenses for each template)

Flipbook photo blog wp flash template

Travel blog wordpress theme

Freelance writer wordpress theme

Movie actor wordpress theme

Photographers blog flash animated wordpress theme

Skylab design studio wp theme

jQuery Templates (1 license for each template)

JQ Studio jQuery template

Crazy design portfolio JQuery template

Accordion jQuery Studio template

Strawberry jQuery slider template

There’s also a special 10% discount promocode available for the smashingapps.com fans at FlashMint for the purchase of any template during next 2 weeks: “smashingapps”.

This contest will run from March 31, 2010 to April 9, 2010 and we will select the winners randomly by running MySQL query. Result can be announced any day before April 15, 2010 so keep visiting here or subscribe to our rss feed to get the latest updates. To participate in the contest and win free wordpress and jquery templates, All you have to do is just tweet this :

Win a copy of #WordPress Theme or #jQuery Template by FlashMint @SmashingApps – http://bit.ly/9OQaoX (Plz RT)

1. After you retweet, just leave a comment with your retweet link.
2. Use valid email ID in the email box.
3. Not necessary, but you can subscribe to our rss feed and follow us on twitter, follow flashmint on twitter and do not forget to become our fan on facebook as well. (To track this contest and for future updates)
4. And thats it!

So what are you waiting for now? Let’s participate in the contest and good luck!

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29 Premium-Like Free But Extremely Tremendous Portfolio WordPress Themes

AN Jay — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:20:51 +0000

As you people already know about wordpress that it is one of most popular blogging service, so we are not going into its detail. It is so popular because of its highly useful plugins and readily available free themes that make blogging absolutely interesting and pleasing experience. For a web designer or a graphic designer, wordpress is the perfect platform to show his/her portfolio that can be very easily maintained. There are an increasing number of themes that are developed specifically for this purpose.

In this article, we are gonna show you a inclusive collection of 29 free but extremely tremendous portfolio wordpress themes that you can use for your portfolio. If you don’t have a portfolio site yet or are looking to create an interesting, easy to update, fast loading and professional looking portfolio than you must use these Portfolio themes of wordpress.

You are welcome to share if you know more premium-like free portfolio wordpress themes which our readers/viewers may like. Do you want to be the first one to know the latest happenings at SmashingApps.com just subscribe to our rss feed and you can follow us on twitter and do not forget to become our fan on facebook as well.

Free and Useful Online Resources for Designers and Developers » Wordpress

I’ve Got a Blog, Now What Do I Do? [Slideshow]

I’ve Got a Blog, Now What Do I Do? – Presentation Transcript

Congratulations To The Winners Of Magic Members WordPress Plugin

Take A Chance To Win Single License Of Magic Members WordPress Plugin

Congratulations To The Winners Of WordPress Theme And jQuery Template By FlashMint

WordPress Themes (2 licenses for each template)

jQuery Templates (1 license for each template)

Now Make Your Blogging Life Easier Than Ever With WordPress For iPad

75+ Truly Useful Tutorials & Colorful Resources For Designers To Discover The Best Of The Web In March

Win A Copy Of WordPress Theme Or jQuery Template By FlashMint

WordPress Themes (2 licenses for each template)

jQuery Templates (1 license for each template)

Win a copy of #WordPress Theme or #jQuery Template by FlashMint @SmashingApps – http://bit.ly/9OQaoX (Plz RT)

29 Premium-Like Free But Extremely Tremendous Portfolio WordPress Themes

80+ Incredible Collection Of Inspirations, Tutorials And Resources For Designers To Discover The Best Of The Web In February

85+ Excellent Resources And Tutorials Especially For Designers To Discover The Best Of The Web In January