Blogging All-in-One For Dummies

Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
About Blogging All-in-One For Dummies
Foolish Assumptions
What You Don’t Have to Read
How This Book Is Organized
Book 1: Entering the Blogosphere
Book 2: Niche Blogging
Book 3: Corporate and Non-Profit Blogging
Book 4: Figuring Out Blogging Platforms
Book 5: Blogging Tools
Book 6: Promoting and Growing Your Blog
Book 7: Making Money from Your Blog
Book 8: Moving Beyond Writing Blog Posts
Glossary
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here
Book 1 Entering the Blogosphere
Chapter 1 Joining the Blogosphere
Getting to Know the Blogosphere
In the beginning
Blogs today
What is a blog?
Finding and Reading Blogs
Why read other blogs?
Finding blogs
Blog search engines
Additional ways to locate blogs
Understanding Why People Blog
Blogging for fun
Blogging for networking
Blogging for exposure
Blogging for business
Blogging for branding
Deciding to Start a Blog
Blogging benefits
Blogging repercussions
Blogging success secrets
Setting your goals
Chapter 2 Preparing to Start and Write a Blog
Choosing a Topic
Reviewing popular blog topics
Determining the best topic for your blog
Blog about a topic you love
Blog about a topic you like discussing with other people
Blog about a topic you enjoy researching
Going broad or staying focused
Finding Your Voice
Selecting Suitable Topics
Deciding what to write about
Knowing what not to write about
Writing Great Blog Posts
Writing meaningful and interesting content
Staying consistent
Being honest
Citing sources
Using images
Writing for the web
Understanding Types of Blog Posts
Avoiding Blogger’s Block and Finding Blog Post Ideas
Determining How Often to Publish Blog Posts
Following Blogging Trends
Chapter 3 Blogging Basics
Launching Your Blog Quickly
Choosing a Domain Name
Understanding the types of domain names and extensions
Creating a domain name and making sure it’s available
Buying a domain name
Identifying the Basic Elements of a Blog
Homepage
About or profile page
Posts
Comments
Categories or labels
Sidebar
Header
Footer
Blogroll or links
Trackbacks, backlinks, and pingbacks
Tags
Template or theme
Chapter 4 Blogging Best Practices
Avoiding Blogging Don’ts
Don’t plagiarize
Don’t commit libel against someone or something
Don’t spam through comments
Don’t publish spammy posts
Don’t steal bandwidth
Providing Attribution
Understanding Copyright and Fair Use
Using Creative Commons Licenses
Disclosing Your Policies
Creating a comment policy
Disclosing paid content
Writing a privacy policy
Developing a Terms and Conditions of Site Use page
Book 2 Niche Blogging
Chapter 1 Understanding Niche Blogging
Determining What Makes a Niche Blog
Understanding what a niche blog is
Differentiating what a niche blog is not
Visiting Niche Blogs
Petals to Picots
Six Suitcase Travel
Small Biz Survival
The Purse Blog
67 Mustang Blog
Finding Out What Makes Niche Blogs Successful
Benefiting from the Positives of Niche Blogging
Loyal readers and community
Less competition
Long-tail search engine optimization
Opportunities beyond the blog
Targeted advertising opportunities
Identifying the Drawbacks to Niche Blogs
Lower traffic and a smaller audience
The startup curse
The disappearing niche
Fewer advertising opportunities
Chapter 2 Benefiting from a Niche Blog Approach
Finding Your Focus and Keeping It
Generating Traffic and Capturing an Audience
Search engine optimization
Link benefits
Organic growth
Establishing Yourself as an Expert
Gaining Online Exposure
Networking with Other People in Your Niche
Branching Out Beyond Your Blog
Chapter 3 Choosing Your Niche
Determining Your Niche Blogging Goals
Building your expertise
Sharing your passion
Offering your opinion and sharing your knowledge
Networking and building relationships
Making money
Identifying Niches That Might Work for You
Determining the Audience Potential for a Niche Blog
Researching existing niche blogs
Google Alerts
Social media searches
Performing keyword searches
Google search
Google Trends
Chapter 4 Writing for Your Niche
Creating Content
Writing different types of posts
Choosing your voice and style
Linking
Finding inspiration for new content
Branding Your Blog
Networking and Commenting
Creating Off-Blog Content for Your Niche Blog
Email campaigns
Newsletter subscriptions
E-books and printables
Social networking and content sharing
YouTube videos
Facebook and LinkedIn groups and pages
SlideShare presentations
Flickr
Self-published books
Book 3 Corporate and Non-Profit Blogging
Chapter 1 Starting a Business Blog
Revealing Why Organizations Blog
Finding Companies That Do It Right
Southwest Airlines
Dell
John Deere
Disney Parks
Compassion International
Benefiting from a Corporate or Non-Profit Organization Blog
Building an online presence
Marketing and publicity
Brand building
Customer relations versus customer service
Employee retention
Employee referrals and new hiring
Knowledge, experience, and expertise
Search engine optimization
Chapter 2 Developing a Blog Plan
Researching the Competition
Finding business blogs to benchmark
Differentiating your organization’s blog from the competition
Understanding Your Readers and Delivering Content They Want
Setting blog goals and purpose
Determining tone
Finding your customers online
Weighing cost and benefit of communities and forums
Researching what consumers talk about and want from your blog
Getting involved in the online conversation
Answering consumer demand with meaningful content
Driving consumers to your blog
Creating a Blog Marketing Strategy
Setting long-term goals
Developing short-term promotional campaigns
Jumping on advertising opportunities
Branding across social media
Blogging with Multiple Writers
Keeping a consistent voice
Developing a team blog
Choosing a team blogging application
Chapter 3 Choosing Bloggers
Knowing When You Need Outside — or Inside — Help
Knowing the Skills to Look for When Hiring a Blogger
Confirming blogging experience
Assessing ability to use blogging applications and tools
Checking writing skills
Taking advantage of social personality
Understanding search engine optimization
Existing social networking experience
Demonstrating knowledge about finding and attracting visitors to your blog
Showing self-motivation and dependability
Understanding your business or industry
Publicizing Your Open Blogger Job
Hiring a Blogger
Defining employment status
Establishing a pay model
Defining Blogger Guidelines
Writing a Style Guide
Crafting title guidelines
Including body guidelines
Highlighting additional tasks, tools, and features
Training Bloggers
Communicating and Collaborating with Bloggers
Knowing what to communicate and why
Using tools for communication and collaboration
Chapter 4 Writing an Organization’s Blog
Discovering the Types of Corporate and Non-Profit Blog Posts
Turning a Business Blog into a Direct Sales Tool
Discovering Tips for Business Blog Success
Avoiding Things Blog Readers Don’t Like
Avoiding a blog that reads like an employee manual
Humanizing an impersonal tone
Uncovering a blog that lacks transparency
Ditching the corporate rhetoric
Skipping PR posts with no real content
Engaging with Your Audience
Providing content the audience wants
Responding to readers in a timely manner
Encouraging comments
Solving reader problems
Making the audience feel special or exclusive
Creating relationships with key influencers
Leveraging word-of-mouth marketing
Chapter 5 Keeping Yourself and Your Organization Out of Trouble
Learning Rules and Laws
Following blogosphere rules
Staying within the law
Maintaining private information
Knowing when to hold your tongue
Responding to Negative Comments and Attacks
Ignoring the negative
Defending the business
Engaging the source and audience
Understanding Search Engine Reputation Management (SERM)
Responding to and acknowledging mistakes
Burying the untrue or reputation threats
Building an audience of brand advocates and brand guardians
Using SERM techniques
Book 4 Figuring Out Blogging Platforms
Chapter 1 Choosing a Blogging Platform
Getting Familiar with How Blogging Applications Work
Defining Hosted and Self-Hosted Solutions
Hosted blog
Self-hosted blog
Considering the Types of Blog Hosts
Finding and Choosing a Web Host for a Self-Hosted Blog
Comparing web hosts
Identifying popular web hosts for self-hosting your blog
Selecting a web host
Chapter 2 Finding the Right Blogging Platform
Determining Your Goals and Needs
Growing your blog
Customizing your blog
Branding your blog
Maintaining your blog
Investing money into your blog
Making money from your blog
Blogging with multiple authors
Taking a Look at the Most Popular Blogging Platforms
WordPress.com
WordPress.org
Blogger
Squarespace
Tumblr
Comparing Popular Blogging Platforms
Considering Other Blogging Platforms
LinkedIn
Medium
Jekyll
Weebly
Drupal
Joomla!
Write.as
Choosing the Right Blogging Platform for You
Chapter 3 Taking a Look at WordPress
Finding Out What WordPress Is
Understanding the Two WordPress Options
Checking out the differences
Choosing between WordPress.com and WordPress.org
Creating a Free Blog at WordPress.com
Installing WordPress.org
Reviewing the WordPress Dashboard
Configuring Settings
Profile
General settings
Reading settings
Discussion settings
Privacy settings
Permalink settings
Understanding Widgets
Personalizing Your Blog
Themes
Add new themes
Editor
Choosing a theme
Finding themes
Publishing a Post
Making Sense of WordPress Plugins
Getting Help and Finding Resources
Chapter 4 Using Google Blogger
Discovering Blogger
Creating a Free Blog at Blogger.com
Reviewing the Blogger Dashboard
The Blogger dashboard main page
Account link
New Post button
Posts button
Stats button
Comments button
Earnings button
Pages button
Layout button
Theme button
Settings button
Reading List button
Configuring Settings
Profile
Basic settings
Privacy
Permissions
Posts
Comments
Email
Formatting
Meta Tags
Personalizing Your Blog
Changing the fonts and colors used on your blog
Finding and choosing themes
Understanding Blogger Gadgets
Publishing a Post
Getting More Advanced
Getting Help and Finding Resources
Chapter 5 Understanding Medium
Finding Out about Medium
Discovering Medium’s best qualities
Understanding Medium’s downsides
Creating a Medium Account
Participating in Medium for free
Paying for a Medium account
Creating a Blog with Medium
Configuring your Medium settings
Profile
Design
Audience development
Email settings
Connections
Publishing a post
Finding Success as a Medium Writer
Following best practices
Avoiding getting suspended
Being curated
Writing for publications
Engaging with the community
Monetizing Your Medium Blog
Taking advantage of affiliate programs
Participating in Medium’s Partner Program
Chapter 6 Blogging with Wix
Checking Out Wix
Understanding what’s great about Wix
Looking at the downside of Wix
Creating a Free Blog with Wix
Personalizing Your Wix Blog
Touring the Website Editor
Add Elements
Add Section
Pages and Menu
Site Design
Add Apps
My Business
Media
Content Manager
Editing directly on your site
Reviewing the Wix Dashboard
Getting to Know the Dashboard Tools
Managing your personal profile
Configuring blog settings
General settings
Communications settings
Advanced settings
Diving into the blog menu
Publishing a Post
Book 5 Blogging Tools
Chapter 1 Optimizing for Search Engines
Understanding SEO Basics
Finding SEO Tools
Staying on top of SEO news
Plugging in for better SEO
Utilizing keyword tools
Interpreting Keywords
Doing keyword research
Exploring keyword search tools
Using keywords
Demystifying Long-Tail SEO
Writing SEO-Friendly Blog Posts
Building Relationships to Boost Search Rankings
Understanding Google Search Results
Avoiding SEO Don’ts
Using the NoFollow Tag
Considering Search Engine Reputation Management
Chapter 2 Measuring Blog Performance
Making Sense of Web Analytics
Defining web analytics terms
Knowing what to track
Choosing a Web Analytics Tool
Google Analytics
Google Search Console
MonsterInsights
Matomo
Semrush
Hotjar
Mixpanel
Crazyegg
Clicky
Finteza
Chartbeat
Using Your Blog Data
Harnessing the power of referrer statistics
Publishing content similar to popular content
Timing post publishing for high-traffic days
Identifying keywords
Finding underperforming content
Calculating online marketing results
Keeping Perspective
Understanding web analytics limitations
Remembering not to sweat the numbers
Chapter 3 Enhancing Content
Asking the Question with Quora
Asking a question
Reading what’s popular
Harnessing Social Buzz with BuzzSumo
Sizing Up the Competition
Writing Great Titles
Creating with Portent
Finding ideas with HubSpot
Riding the Trends
Trending on Twitter
Exploring on LinkedIn
Browsing Google Trends
Building in Keywords
Writing with Keyword Tool
Optimizing with Yoast
Checking Your Readability
Editing with Hemingway
Proofing with Grammarly
Chapter 4 Staying Organized
Collecting Your Content Components
Gathering with Dropbox
Filing in Google Drive
Formulating Tasks
Todoist
Monday.com
Scheduling Your Work
Managing Your Time
E.ggTimer
Toggl
Freeing Yourself from Distraction
Google Docs
WordPress Distract-Free Editor
Book 6 Promoting and Growing Your Blog
Chapter 1 Secrets to Blogging Success
Writing Well
Writing Often
Being Organized
Building Links
Link baiting
Using Google Trends for short-term traffic boosts
Using Twitter to find hot blog topics
Committing the Time
Streamlining Tasks
Having Passion
Socializing and Supporting
Reading More than Writing
Being Comfortable with Technology
Having Patience
Chapter 2 Building Community
Responding to Comments
Posting Comments on Other Blogs
Handling Comment Moderation
Linking and Creating Trackbacks, Backlinks, and Pingbacks
Inviting Guest Bloggers
Going Beyond the Blogosphere
Chapter 3 Social Networking
Defining Social Networking
Finding Popular Social Networking Sites
Friending with Facebook
Facebook benefits
Facebook blog promotion
Influencing on Instagram
Connecting on LinkedIn
LinkedIn benefits
LinkedIn blog promotion
Microblogging on Twitter
Twitter hashtags
Community retweets
Reaching a new audience with TikTok
Connecting via videos on YouTube
Sharing content on Pinterest
Using Social Networking Sites to Boost Blog Traffic
Leaning on Social Media Scheduling Tools
Avoiding Social Networking Don’ts
Chapter 4 Distributing Content
Sharing Content by Email
Building with Buzzstream
Reaching with ConvertKit
Distributing with Mailchimp
Emailing with Constant Contact
Plugging in with Thrive Leads
Creating with Aweber
Organizing with Goodbits
Syndicating Content
Sending out content with Feedblitz
Speedy RSS with New Sloth
Utilizing syndication with Rapid Feeds
Curating Content
Getting social with Listly
Digging in with Digg
Sharing with Social Media
Spreading the word with Click to Tweet
Scheduling with MeetEdgar
Chapter 5 Inviting or Being a Guest Blogger
Understanding Guest Blogging
Defining Your Goals
Being a Guest Blogger
Writing a guest blog post
Choosing blogs to write guest posts for
Making your pitch
Following up after your post is published
Inviting Guest Bloggers to Write Posts for Your Blog
Benefits of accepting guest bloggers on your blog
Finding guest bloggers for your blog
Setting guidelines for guest bloggers
Tracking the results
Repaying the favor
Separating spam guest post requests from legitimate ones
Book 7 Making Money from Your Blog
Chapter 1 Blog Advertising 101
Determining Your Goals
Deciding to Publish Ads on Your Blog
Reviewing Types of Ads
Setting Earnings Expectations
Keeping Ethics and Legalities in Mind
Tips for Advertising Success
Chapter 2 Publishing Advertising
Understanding the Different Types of Advertising
Fitting in with contextual ads
Inserting ads with text link advertising
Counting pageviews with impression-based advertising
Taking advantage of feed and email advertising
Benefiting From Each Ad Type
Getting the most benefit from contextual ads
Knowing the positives of text link ads
Looking at the positives of impression-based ads
Prospering with feed and email advertising
Recognizing the Negatives of Each Ad Type
Exposing the negatives of publishing contextual ads
Uncovering the negatives of text link ads
Reviewing the problems with impression-based ads
Uncovering the negatives of feed and email ads
Knowing Where to Find Advertising by Type
Finding popular contextual ad programs
Google AdSense
Media.net
Propeller Ads
Vibrant
Finding popular text link ad programs
Infolinks
LinkWorth
Skimlinks
Finding popular impression-based ad programs
Mediavine
Revcontent
AdMaven
Finding popular feed ad options
BuySellAds
FeedBlitz
Chapter 3 Making Money with Affiliate Marketing
Understanding Affiliate Marketing
Benefiting from Affiliate Marketing
Knowing the Problems with Affiliate Marketing
Making Affiliate Marketing Work on Your Blog
Finding Popular Affiliate Marketing Programs
Exploring direct affiliate programs
Amazon Associates
eBay Partner Network
Bluehost
Walmart Creator
Understanding third-party-managed affiliate programs
Rakuten Advertising
Commission Junction
Skimlinks
ShareASale
Chapter 4 Publishing Sponsored Posts
Discovering Sponsored Content
Understanding why bloggers like sponsored content
Exposing potential drawbacks of sponsored content
Publishing Sponsored Content Safely
Providing full disclosure
Using the NoFollow HTML tag
Staying relevant and useful
Connecting with Sponsored Content Opportunities
Finding sponsored content networks
Clever
Linqia
TapInfluence
Acorn
Izea
Being included in sponsored campaigns
Chapter 5 Monetizing with Social Commerce
Defining Social Commerce
Selling for yourself
Selling for a client
Building Your Brand
Maintaining consistency
Growing your community
Inviting brand partnerships
Cashing in with Influencer Marketing
Participating in affiliate programs
Providing discount codes
Collaborating through social media takeovers
Signing up for product collaborations and endorsements
Benefiting from Print-on-Demand Merchandising
Reviewing considerations before jumping in
Taking a look at print-on-demand options
CafePress
Zazzle
Other options
Participating in Existing eCommerce
Crafting with Etsy
Making money with eBay
Leveling Up with Paywalls
Chapter 6 Selling Ad Space Directly
Choosing to Sell Direct Ads
Selecting Types of Ads to Sell
Researching Similar Blogs in Size and Topic
Developing a Rate Sheet
Accepting Payments
Promoting Ad Space for Sale on Your Blog
Using a Third Party to Facilitate the Ad Sales Process
Chapter 7 Benefiting from Indirect Monetization Opportunities
Requesting Payment for Guest Blogging Services
Booking Speaking Engagements
Offering Consulting Services
Writing for Other Publications
Asking for Donations
Using Licensed or Ad-Supported Syndication
Accepting Job Offers
Self-Publishing Offline and Online Content
Book 8 Moving Beyond Writing Blog Posts
Chapter 1 Painting a Picture with Visual Content
Understanding the Importance of Visual Content
Planning a Visual Content Strategy
Keeping consistent branding with unified visuals
Creating visual content that works for social media
Pinterest
Instagram
Facebook
Creating Powerful Visual Content for Your Blog
Getting to know the different types of visual content on your blog
Infographics
Quotes
GIFs
Slideshows
Graphs and Charts
Photographs
Memes
Illustrations
Flipbooks
Video
Cartoons and Comics
Printables
Utilizing available visual content tools
Death to the Stock Photo
Vecteezy
Skitch
Meme Generator
Canva
Gimp
Infogram
Unsplash
Photovisi
Shutterstock
Picmonkey
Snappa
Giphy
TouchRetouch
Quozio
Easelly
Landscape
Chapter 2 Reaching Your Audience with Video Content
Benefits of Creating Video Content
Deciding to Include Video Content in Your Blog Strategy
Introducing Popular Video Content Platforms
YouTube
TikTok
Instagram
Preparing to Create Video Content
Finding the tools you need
Animoto
Powtoon
Adobe Premiere Clip
Loom
Planning video content
Picking a topic
Planning the video
Lighting considerations
Setting up sound
Editing the video
Remembering laws and rules
Promoting Your Video Content
Chapter 3 Getting Social with Social Media
Understanding How Social Media Amplifies Your Blog
Making the case for social media
Addressing social media concerns
Getting to Know the Most Popular Social Media Platforms
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest
TikTok
YouTube
LinkedIn
Introducing Social Media Tools for Bloggers
Chapter 4 Creating a Podcast
Getting the Scoop on Podcasts
Discovering Why Podcasts Are Popular
Determining Whether Podcasting Is Right for You
Finding the Equipment You Need
Audacity
GarageBand
Further options
Strategizing and Creating Your Podcast
Setting goals for your podcast
Picking your podcast subject matter
Considering your audience
Selecting your voice
Identifying your podcast format
Recording your podcast
Editing your podcast
Testing, analyzing, tweaking, and learning more
Finding an Online Home for Your Podcast
Hosting your podcast
Distributing your podcast
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Amazon Music
Stitcher
TuneIn
Publicizing Your Podcast
Index
EULA