By Derrick Carpenter

Are you new to blogs and blogging? Then this primer is for you.

The word blog, is actually a blend of two words, web and log; which leads to weblog, and finally blog. A blog is a website that is used like an online journal. It can let you express your feelings or thoughts on a particular topic.

Like other media outlets, blogs often focus on varied topics. These subjects can range from discussions about politics, sports, music, fashion, foods, etc. and can be very instrumental in reaching others, letting them know your thoughts, feelings, ability, passions and even create profits for your business. Whatever those passions are, they likely are shared by millions of people around the world.

Since their first appearance in 1995, blogs have dramatically course of communication, affecting public opinion and mass media around the globe.

The term blogging is the process of authoring a blog, maintaining a blog or adding an article to an existing blog. The person who posts blog entries is called a blogger.

Blog posts typically consist of:

• Title- main title or a headline

• Body- main content of the post

• Comments- added by readers

• Permalink- the URL(Uniform Resource Locator) of an individual article

• Post date- date and time the entry was posted

Some blog entries optionally include:

• Categories or tags- subjects on the content the blog discusses

• Trackback- links to other sites that are connected to the entry

HOW BLOGS ARE MADE

Blogs have characteristics that separate them from standard web pages. Blogs allow for easy production of new pages, new submissions can be entered into a simple form, with the title, the category and the main content of the article.

These forms are called templates. The templates are programmed to be fully automated, they create a new full article page, which is then added to the homepage, with the appropriate date.

Some notable web hosting companies like, America Online, and internet portals like, Yahoo or Google, as well as social networking sites like, MySpace, facebook and Youtube provide blog production and hosting services.

DIFFERENCES OF BLOGS

Blogs differ from forums or newsgroups because only the author the blog posted can create new subjects for discussion. Networks of blogs can serve like a forum because every blog in the network can produce subjects.

TYPES OF BLOGS

• Personal- your online diary. You can post thoughts or daily experiences informing the world what is happening with you.

• Career- usually focused on one’s professional ability and passion

• Cultural- discusses about sports, theatre, music and other arts. These are among the most read blogs.

• Business- starting, operating, promoting, financing, all areas of business are written about

• Science

• Religion and Spirituality

• Moblog- a mobile blog, in which the content is posted to the internet from mobile device

• Vlog-video blogging via a webcam and posting to sites like youtube

• Educational- that is used by students to record what they learn and mentors to record what they teach

Blogs are like a camera lens to your life, in which people can peer through and catch a momentary image of you.

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Political Gossip Blogger

If you’re a political news, pop culture and gossip junky, you can turn your passion into a blogging gig by taking over a neglected blog — StarkedDC (www.starkeddc.com).

Political news and gossip, pop culture, current events, breaking news, personalities, are all fair game.

Pay is based on base plus traffic bonus.

Minimum posting of six times a week is required, and more is encouraged. Knowledge of Word Press is preferred, but not required.

How to apply: Fill out online application at www.b5media.com/jobs

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Bloggers/Content Writer

We are currently assembling a remarkable team of Bloggers. We need talented writers who enjoy researching and writing mini-articles to be posted on the Internet.

We are looking for individuals who enjoy writing articles of varying lengths on a variety of topics. We currently manage blog articles with topics ranging from apartment living, parenting trends, and current medical hot-topics. This is a great opportunity to work flexible hours around your busy schedule.

About Army of Moms: Started by a WAHM and her husband, Army of Moms provides an array of consulting services. Uniquely designed to be flexible for Moms and affordable for businesses, Army of Moms appreciates that some of the best talent in the marketplace works at home.

How to apply

To be considered, please provide a writing sample and the following to jobs@AmericanWorkforce.com:

1. Resume
2. How many hours you would like to work on a daily basis.
3. How much you would like to earn per hour?

Podcasting is a great way to grow your blog and connect with your readers on a personal level.  However, just like any venture, a podcast needs to be marketed.  Simply creating a podcast and putting it online will not attract much traffic. You MUST take the time and effort to market your podcast.

There are a lot choices when it comes to marketing your podcast.  One way to market your podcast and grow your subscriber list at the same time is to keep your podcast private.  All you need to do to get started is set up a mailing list within your autoresponder for the subscribers to your podcast, and include the sign up link on your blog. 

If you already have a mailing list, you could send them an email, letting them know that you are offering a new and exclusive podcast and encourage them to sign up for your new list. 

A great way to get people to sign up is to offer a freebie. You could offer an ebook, free advertising, or some sort of drawing. Use your creativity.

When you are ready to launch the podcast, send an email to the people on your list.  You can also use this list to market other products and services you offer.

If your goal is to attract traffic and find new customers through your podcast, you could choose to make your podcast available to the public. Similar to blog directories, there are many podcast directories that allow you to submit your podcast.  People come to these directories and search for podcasts they may be interested in. 

The more places you list your podcast, you increase your chances of someone finding your podcast.  Podcast.com and Podcast.net are both large directories and great places to start.  Also, doing a Google search will help you find more podcast directories to help you market your podcast.

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