This is a review of the eBay Developers Blog.

One of the things that set blogs apart from news listings is the ability to interact with the readers, and their ability to interact back. Even a corporate blog should have the capability for readers to post comments to posts. Not only does this give the reader a sense of working with company, but it is free customer information. This is a lesson which the eBay Developers Program blog failed to receive. Customers of eBay who visit the blog will find that there is no way to comment, making the blog nothing more than a news feed.

Stepping aside from that, examination of the visual qualities of the blog leaves one quite unimpressed. Visuals are limited to text, text, a screen shot or two, text, a clip art image, and text. While many blogs get away with just text, the text is typographically pleasing, not the browsers default by any measure. Examination of the site also fails to readily explain what exactly the site is trying to do.

Over all, the blog is of poor quality, especially given the resources eBay could have put behind the blog. There are many things specifically which merit review, so here is a breakdown of how the site rates in different fields.

Availability, 8 out of 10 –

Typing the blog into a Google search yields the page as the very first link, which is very good. A search for “eBay blog” will yield the blog several pages in, but this is due mainly to interference with their blog service for customers.

Posting Frequency, 6 out of 10 –

The eBay Developers Program blog posts in high numbers but there may be long pauses in between posts, leaving readers with a empty newsreader some days.

Relevance, 4 out of 10 –

It is very difficult to identify exactly whom the blog is trying to reach. The posts remain focused on technical developments of the eBay system, but because of the many voices behind the site, it is hard to figure out why the readers should care. Reading the blog makes it seem more for corporate propaganda than a blog where the company can give news to customers and get feedback in return.

Accuracy, 9 out of 10 –

It is difficult to verify, but so far the blog has remained technically accurate. A point is lost in the inability to verify everything, or comment for further information.

User Interaction, 0 out of 10 –

For the users and readers of the blog, there is no way to directly interact with the blogs writers. The posts lack any comment system, not even a digg button. And aside from author names, the blog offers no means to contact the authors aside from googling their names and hoping a result appears.

Overall, the eBay Developers Program Blog received 27 out of 50, or a whopping 54%. Given this failing grade, one would hope their act gets together and with the times.

Originally posted 2009-02-10 05:57:07. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Blogging has become an extremely popular activity for businesses, and it also has created a very important impact in other circles as well, including an activity for the political scene as well as for ordinary individuals as well. Google purchased Blogger in 2003, and ever since, blogging has continued to grow at an exponential pace. Here are some of the best ways that blogging can be used in order to enhance your business.

1 – The hits that you attract to your website will be more qualified.

By providing interesting content on your site through your blog, you can reach a much larger audience. Post links to your website and when readers follow these links, you will know it is because they are actually interested in what it is that you are offering.

2 – You can increase your return on investment, or ROI.

By showcasing your new products and including information in your blog, your readers will easily be driven from your blog onto your sales pages or into your catalog of products. The more people who click on your site, the more sales you will be able to realize. Marketing really is a numbers game, and blogging for your business really can help.

3 – You can increase your ranking in search engines.

If you use the best keywords and long tail phrases in your blog entries, you can significantly increase your search engine ranking. Search engines are looking for fresh content above all else, and blogs certainly do provide it.

4 – You can develop a stronger connection with your readers.

By creating an open means of communication with your readers, you can develop a rapport or a relationship with them. They will appreciate the information that you are giving them, including tips, advice, updates and product information, and you will benefit from the relationships that drive sales in the long run.

5 – You can create better relationships through communication on a two way basis.

Allowing readers to respond to your blog posts with comments and questions will give you an even better opportunity to develop strong relationships with current and future customers. Make sure that you respond to them to develop this communication.

6 – You can establish yourself as an expert or authority in your line of business or your industry.

Your blog will let you offer valuable information that your audience is looking for, and this will allow you to showcase your expertise to all of the world. This is an excellent way to gain the trust of both current and potential customers as well.

7 – Blogs are one of the most cost effective methods of publishing online.

Blogs can be set up for very little cost, and do not require a programmer in most cases. Some blogger hosts are completely free and will set the site up for you. In other words, a blog can cost between nothing and approximately $10 a month; a cost effective option consider the profit potential.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2009-02-23 05:37:06. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Business blogging is rife with benefits for those who utilize it properly, as it adds significant value to a company’s web presence, increasing search engine visibility and encouraging excellent and meaningful interaction from readers, driving an increase of traffic to your website in the process. But blogging for business is not always easy, because writer’s block does happen to everyone. The following list of business blogging ideas will help to keep you going, creating new and meaningful content for your business blog for a good long time.

1 -Email to Blog Post.

Take any email content that you have, and recycle it in order to create new blog content. If you are like most modern business owners, you probably do your fair share of emailing which can work to your advantage. Re-purpose some of your email content by turning it into blog entry material.

2 -Address reader questions.

Implement a method for your readers to type in their questions to you. Consider adding a small box or a small form to one of your sidebars. All a reader will have to do is ask their question and click submit, and you will receive the question by e-mail so that you can address it in your blog. When the questions relate to your business, your products or your services, not only will this facilitate communication between you and your readers but it also makes for excellent blog content when the questions are relevant.

3 -Keywords.

Use a tool for researching keywords like the one offered by Google so that you can identify the keywords and key phrases that best relate to your business. When you know what people are searching for, it can better help you formulate an idea for a blog post. These tools show you exactly what potential readers are looking for, saving time and effort in determining what you should be writing about.

4 – News.

Follow the media, because there is nothing that influences the behavior of internet searches the way the media does. What is currently being talked about within your niche or industry? Which topics are being regarded as hot topics? Why not talk about them in your own words by turning them into blog entries? For added effectiveness, create Google Alerts so that you can generate an endless stream of blog content ideas and other valuable writing material. Any time something is posted about one of your chosen keywords, Google will e-mail you to let you know. Can it get any easier?

5 – Look to yourself.

Look at your own company in search of blog entries and subject matter that you can write about. What kinds of products and services are you providing to the public? What are the most important components of those services or products. Break this up into various information entries and not only will you be posting search engine-valuable content, but you will also be informing your readers of the value behind your products and services.

In part 2 of this article we will touch on more exciting ideas for creating blog content for your corporate blog.

Photo Credit:  1

Originally posted 2009-01-27 05:58:58. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Whether you are new to corporate blogging, or trying to find ways to blog more effectively, there are some great tools out there that can truly enhance your blog. Most are free to use, while others do have a small fee. However, this is definitely time and money well spent, since many of these tools can mean the difference between failure and success. Let’s look at some of the best tools that you should be using.

1. Google Analytics –

This is a free stat program that delivers a powerful punch. Not only will you get to see where your visitors are coming from, or how they found your site, but you can also track campaign effectiveness, set traffic goals and measure the ROI of your advertising campaigns. This is truly one of the most efficient and effective stat programs in existence.

2. Google Keyword Suggestions/Popularity –

Google recently released these two tools that are commonly associated with AdWords, to the general public. You can use these tools to determine how to target your niche more effectively and to get ideas of what keywords you should be using. This is also a great tool for breaking through writer’s block and the keyword suggestions are very helpful.

3. Submit Express Link Popularity Checker –

This is a vital tool for corporate bloggers that is also free to use and very powerful. Ever wonder how popular your links are? Want to know which sites you should be targeting for links back to your own site? This tool can tell you that and a lot more. This is a great resource for any webmaster, but it can be particularly effective for corporate bloggers.

4. Wordtracker –

This is a paid service, but they do offer a limited version that can be used for free. While this is a little more expensive than some of their competitor’s offerings, you can use these services to really get more out of your blog. Whether you need to see what people are searching for, or how you can expect your keywords to perform, this is a very helpful tool.

5. Multi-Pinging Tool –

There are several of these services out there, so it is difficult to pick the ideal one. However, if you are not pinging your blog, you are missing out on a lot of potential traffic. These services can be used right after you add a new post to your blog and they will automatically notify many popular blog listing sites that you have new content. You can actually pick up quite a lot of new visitors with the right pinging strategy.

6. Technorati –

This is often overlooked in corporate blogs, but it can be helpful when used properly. While the main focus is of course technical topics, there are plenty of other topics that are still popular. We also recommend visiting Technorati for topic ideas since their tag clouds can give you an idea of what people are interested in right then and there.

The proper toolbox will help you build your corporate blog up and make it more popular.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-10-08 05:45:08. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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12 – Listen to what people are saying when they talk about you.

There are a wide variety of different tools that you can use in order to monitor the conversation. One of the most popular ones is to set up a Google Alert with your name, along with another for the name of your blog, and other alerts for topics that are important to you. Google will send you an e-mail any time one of your key terms is mentioned online.

13 – Find new ways to publicize your blog to your entire network.

Print the URL of your blog on your business cards; include it in your e-mail signature, post it on your LinkedIn account, mention it in your Facebook account, Twitter it, and find plenty of other ways to get the word out about your blog. The more you most your blog URL on the internet, the more likely you will be to have it seen.

14 – Install Analytic Software, allowing you to track your traffic and where it is coming from.

One of the most popular options is Google Analytics, which can be found at http://www.google.com/Analytics for free. Another excellent tool worth considering is Quantcast, which is especially useful when you are selling advertising on your site and want to be able to define your audience, measuring your site capabilities based on your traffic.

15 – Create content that is both useful and timely for your blog.

This is well worth mentioning, because content is what fuels a blog and keeps readers coming back to it for more. You also need to consider the search engine optimization value for your blog and its content. Your blog content should be search engine optimized in order for you to get the most out of your blog.

16 – Use audio, video, photos and other rich media to bring your blog to life.

Different people respond to different types of media in different ways. Create a blog radio show, or host a show with topics relating to your industry and pepper your blog with these media pieces in addition to your normal blog topics. Podcasts are another excellent way to get the most out of your corporate blog, giving your readers other forms of media to take advantage of.

17 – Make it easy for your readers to get in contact with you.

Give your readers numerous means of contacting you, including an e-mail address, a phone number, the location of your office, and anything else that will allow your readers to find you.

There are plenty of other ways to get the most out of your corporate blog, but these seventeen tips provide an excellent jumping off point to build your blog from.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2009-01-21 05:17:49. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Many companies don’t consider the fact that they could actually make money from their blogs. The popularity of online advertising has made it easy to include ads from all over the world, and Google Ads in particular make it very easy to target your readers with advertisements that they will be interested in. While it can be very fruitful to include ads on your corporate blog, there are a few considerations you should be aware of before you take that step.

1. Always make sure that you can filter the ads.

The main problem with banner networks is that some of the ads are highly inappropriate for certain audiences. You may not want your company associated with the latest ads for male enhancement – and this happens a lot. It is vital to choose an ad service that will allow you to filter out the type of advertising that you do not want. Be advised however that these filters do not always work. You may need to add actual sites to a list to make sure that their ads do not appear on your site. It is best to monitor the ads that appear on your site as much as possible to avoid getting stuck with reader complaints and a bad public image.

2. Beware your competitors.

The popularity of online advertising means that it is highly likely that your competitors are using it. You don’t want to promote their sites, but if you are using PPC ads that are keyword based, the chances of this happening are very high. Make sure that you collect the URL’s for all of your competitors and then choose a PPC service that will allow you to block ads from that domain. You don’t want to shoot yourself in the foot by promoting another company. This is a frequent problem that affects companies in many different sectors.

3. Do the ads enhance your site or take away from the content?

The whole point of having a corporate blog is to get people to read it. Are the ads going to make them leave your site? While extra revenue is nice, is it worth the risk that your readers are going to click on the ads and as such, leave your blog? This is a consideration that should be weighed heavily before moving forward. Secondly, it is important to make sure that your ads do not diminish your content or make it look badly. Work on ad placement that integrates well with your blog design, and is not terribly prominent.

Having ads on your corporate blog is a bit of a double edged sword. When used properly they can create extra revenue. However, you should always weigh the premise of a two cent click versus a potential sale. If your ads are harming your business, there is just no point in having them. If you do go with advertising, make sure that it is professional and that you do not rely too heavily on it.

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Originally posted 2008-08-21 05:26:58. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Reading and reviewing corporate blogs from other companies is a great way to learn a little bit more about your own blog. Microsoft has a large community of blogs, and a wide variety of bloggers writing in numerous blogs within this community. There are a number of employee blogs in the Microsoft blog community, which is insightful and interesting, but many of the community blogs are rich in technical jargon which is useful to those who are more tech savvy but not necessarily useful to those who are not used to the lingo.

There are a lot of blogs that are from Microsoft or about Microsoft, and many focus on technical advances relating to the Microsoft software. However, there is also a higher education blog that is part of the Microsoft community which relates to programs that are being integrated into universities for students. For example, I read about a software program called Business Intelligence and how Microsoft Performance Point is going to bring benefits to universities and the students who attend them, which was a pleasant subject to read about.

Because so many of the Microsoft blogs are technical in nature, they do not get many comments from readers despite being updated rather frequently. Most of the blogs in this network do not encourage dialog and do not appear to be very engaging. Let’s break down some of the details of these blogs in a purely number way.

Ease of Finding – 9 out of 10.

Once I typed “Microsoft” into Google’s search engine, a bunch of different Microsoft blogs came up. Blogs can also be found through the Microsoft website as well.

Frequency – 6 out of 10 –

These blogs are updated pretty frequently, but not on any real schedule that I can discern. I was finding some blogs with entries that were a few days old, and nothing new or fresh despite plenty to say.

Engaging Writing – 5 out of 10 –

The writing in many of these blogs is really only going to relate to tech savvy readers, or people who are really serious about finding out more information about Microsoft. This writing may be somewhat engaging, but it caters to heavily to a specific audience and leaves out a lot of potential readers in the process.

Relevance – 6 out of 10 –

Blogs in this network are highly catered to people who are seriously into technology, and as a result, they really are not relevant to the general public as a whole.

Focus – 8 out of 10 –

Perhaps too focused, but the focus here is good.

Honesty – 7 out of 10 –

The technology and software blogs appear honest, but I am less sure about the employee run blogs, giving these guys a solid 7.

Interactivity – 3 out of 10 –

These blogs are not very interactive, as they spend no time facilitating conversation or answering questions for readers.

Responsiveness – 3 out of 10 –

These blogs are not very responsive, as it does not seem like anyone is creating conversation in the comments, or even responding to those which are posted.

Grand total score for the Microsoft blog network is 48 out of 80.

Originally posted 2009-02-11 05:03:48. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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If you ask ten different bloggers about the best way to increase your search engine ranking for your corporate blog, you will certainly get at least ten different answers. There are a myriad of different ways that you can increase your blog’s search engine rankings in the top search engines like Google, Yahoo and MSN. The best approach is to find a number of strategies that will work for you, implementing them one at a time and combining them for the best possible results. Here is a look at some of the best strategies for success with generating better blog rankings for your corporate blog.

1 – Target Audience.

If you have not done so already, you need to build yourself a list of specific phrases and keywords that your target audience is specifically looking for online to find what you are providing. Blog ranking is only useful if you are ranking for the right keywords and key phrases.

2 – Posting Schedule.

Write your blog content often, and make sure to use your keyword list as a guide for all of the content that you produce. This will help to make sure that you are improving your search engine rankings for a much wider range of different phrases, which is going to lead to more traffic in the long term.

3 – Get Links.

When you add quality content to your blog fairly regularly over time, you are also turning your blog into a resource that is much more useful to its readers. This will help you to attract links from other webmasters for increased exposure in search engines, increasing your link popularity in the process.

4 -Directories.

Add your blog to web directories in various sources on the internet. This is another excellent strategy for increasing your link property and for seeing an improvement in ranking as well. You should conduct some basic research to figure out which directories will offer the best value for the cost.

5 -Recycle or upcycle with focus.

Re-purpose old content in order to get more bang out of your buck. You can compile and revise older blog posts in order to turn them into longer articles. You can take these articles and get more out of them still by using them to increase your ranking, your visibility and your blog traffic as well. Start submitting articles to article submission websites, providing a link that connects back to your blog for an increase in visibility overall. You should also consider submitting your articles to large scale industry websites within the industry that you operate in. Many websites will consider publishing quality articles, and the majority of them will be willing to include a link back to your website at the end of the article. More links and more content on the web leads to better blog rankings, hands down.

These are only five strategies and there are plenty more to consider when it comes to increasing your blog rankings and getting the most out of your blog generation strategies.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2009-01-22 05:34:45. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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When you’re ready to start getting your feet wet in the world of corporate blogging, it is a good idea to consider whether or not your company is going to need more than one blog. There are quite a few examples of multiple blogs that work well for their companies, such as Google and Sun. Let’s take a look at a few reasons why multiple blogs may be the right answer for you.

1. You have multiple divisions.

If you’ve got more than one division and they do widely different things, having more than one blog can give each division a voice. On the plus side, as readers develop interest in one of your corporate division blogs, the chances are high that they will want to see what the other blogs have to say. Internally, having more than one blog can make the whole company feel as though they are taking part in this venture and moral can go up as a result.

2. You sell many very different products.

If you’ve got many products that are very dissimilar from one another, you may want to set up more than one blog. This helps keep things less confusing for your readers, especially if you are using your corporate blog to promote these products. Try adding blogs for each different major type of product you sell. For example, let’s say a store like Sears wanted to set up multiple corporate blogs. They could have one for apparel, one for automotive and so on. By separating them, you are creating more chances for discovery and you’re giving each department their own voice.

3. You want to appear open as a company.

If you are letting your employees blog, this can be perceived as being a very open and tolerant company. Many companies do this, but it can be a bit dangerous if you give your employees free reign. You’ll need to keep an eye on them to make sure that they are staying on topic and representing your company appropriately.

4. You want to increase your SEO possibilities.

By having more than one blog, you are multiplying the opportunities to get a higher ranking on search engines. The more content you can produce every day, the greater your chances are of making it into the top 10 search results. This technique allows you to add numerous different keywords and many new pages every day that will get picked up by the engines.

No matter what you decide, it can be very useful to have the help of a blog management service. They can guide you through the entire decision process and then help manage those blogs once you’re ready to take them live. This type of service is incredibly useful, especially if you don’t have a lot of resources within your own company to devote to this type of project. Corporate blogs are powerful tools, but they need to be managed properly to get the best results.

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Originally posted 2008-07-28 05:06:46. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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In many cases, the most popular blogs got to their position by finding the right way to spin a topic. This technique can work for anyone that is looking to establish themselves as a corporate blogger, and it can dramatically impact not only how many readers you get, but also how they react to your post. While it is perfectly fine to write posts the way you want to, sometimes it pays to do a little research first, especially if you want to stand out from the crowd.

1. Research your topic.

If you have a blog post planned for a certain product, event or even a company announcement, take the time to go through other blogs that posted about the same or similar content. You can use Google’s Blog Search to help you find more outlets for this. Take the time to read each post to see what they are discussing and how they spun that particular subject.

2. Take notes.

Find the posts that you like and make a few notes about what they did with their content. Whether they put a humorous spin on something, or found a unique way of looking at the subject, write it down. It is important that you do not copy these posts, this is just for inspiration and to help you find your own unique spin. The more unique you are, the better your chances will be of attracting new readers.

3. Write your headline.

This is where the majority of your “spin” will go and the most time should be spent on figuring out what you will say here. The headline is sometimes the most important part of a post and without a good one, you will have difficulty driving traffic to your blog. This headline should not only contain your unique spin on the idea, but it should also be optimized for keywords that are related to your post.

4. Write your post.

Now that the headline is done, move on to writing the post and make sure to include your own unique spin on the subject. Find a voice that works for you and utilize it in this post. If you are known for your friendly posts, stick with that. However, sometimes, going outside the box can have a big impact. For example, if your posts are normally quite dry and you suddenly change that spin, you will get more attention.

5. Start promoting your post.

Your unique spin won’t do you much good if you don’t find a way to let people know about it. Submit your post to places such as Technorati and Digg. Your unique headline is going to come into play at this time. Thousands of readers use these sites every day and if your headline stands out from the crowd, you have a much better chance of making the front page.

6. Testing.

Now that you spun your first post, pay attention to the reaction you got and how much traffic you received. Fine tune your spin for future posts and use this data to help you decide which direction is right for your blog.

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Originally posted 2008-09-09 05:45:53. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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