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The interactive message board is up and running in the Linknet Marketing Forum. Ask qustions about online marketing questions, web building, paypal, email self-serve-blogging, article marketing, etc.

Go to the Linknet Interactive Marketing Forum (registration required.)

Blogging programs were originally developed in the late 1990s by ardent web surfers whose primary purpose was to "filter" and comment on the web content they found most interesting and valuable. This mostly involved surfing the web, finding interesting, perhaps obscure articles or resource material, providing a link to it, and perhaps to some related or alternative points of view, and often adding a short commentary.

So the very first blogs were not so much "journals" as they were ongoing works of personal reference.

As Rebecca Blood points out in Weblogs: a history and perspective this original idea was developed over a very short period of time in 1999 by a very small handful of "bloggers". The emphasis was on community, interaction, short, pithy and often sarcastic commentary, and extensive inter-linking.

This original concept began to morph into something different in late 1999 and early 2000 -- the blog as personal journal. According to Blood the main reason for this change was the structure of the new blogging software that was rapidly becoming popular. In particular it was Blogger (since purchased by Google) that set the tone and gave impetus to the shift. As Blood says,

Blogger itself places no restrictions on the form of content being posted. Its web interface, accessible from any browser, consists of an empty form box into which the blogger can type...anything: a passing thought, an extended essay, or a childhood recollection. With a click, Blogger will post the...whatever...on the writer's website, archive it in the proper place, and present the writer with another empty box, just waiting to be filled.

The result was the development of two different forms of blogging: blogs as "filters", and blogs as "journals". The resulting content can be very different. You can still see this in the design of Blogger (blogspot.com). Unlike "real" blogging software that emphasizes commenting, trackbacks, and pinging, Blogger seems to make a point of de-emphasizing these things.

This was pointed out to me a few months back when I first began developing my own blogs. A webmaster who was interested in my Linknet project commented that I should eventually get around to doing "some real blogging". Being very new to the whole blogging scene at that time I was not sure what he meant, or even whether this was an innocent suggestion or a meaning-laden insult.

In retrospect I realize he was commenting on the way I had turned most of my blogs into a series of articles. Clearly I was using a journalistic style. He was suggesting that "real blogging" is something different. I took him to be saying that it is somewhat contrary to the spirit of blogging to develop your own ideas in a kind of cocoon. Better to use web content other than your own as a taking-off point for your own comments and opinions. The "filter" model.

Actually, now I realize many of my own blogging exploits do not conform to either of these two original models. If a personal journal must consist of top-of-mind ramblings, then I am not particularly interested in doing personal journals. I prefer posting things about half way between free form ramblings and carefully worked out articles.

On the other hand I cannot see why one cannot simply develop his or her own ideas independent of what others may or may not have said. It seems to me this is the potential downside of feeling you have to conform to a blogging formula. "Horrors! I can't find a link...!!! Now what do I do?"

On the other hand I have come to appreciate the "coverage" you can get by using your blog as a "filter". In fact it often seems like a perfect way to break out of your own little isolated world. It gives you a chance to take a close look at what other people in your field are talking about, and bounce it off your own stuff. If you happen to develop a few readers, you'll be doing them a favour by pointing them to a broader spectrum of opinions and observations than the narrow range they're going to find in your own blog.

At the same time I think it is a bit odd to suggest there is something called "real blogging", and that to really do it right you should conform to some predefined model.

Like email itself, "autoresponders" have been around for quite a few years. The idea is fairly simple. Say you want to promote your new ebook called "Dog Care Fundamentals". Here is how you use an autoresponder to promote it:

Step 1. Create a text or html promotional message, for example, "Intro to Dog Care Fundamentals".

Step 2. Enter the message into the autoresponder program.

Step 3. Create a web page that promotes your product and offers a "Free Intro" — the message you created in Step 1.

Step 4. Put a web form on the page that allows people to "submit" their name and email address to the autoresponder.

Step 5. Program the autoresponder to send out your "Intro..." message when someone submits their name and email address using the special web form you created in Step 4.

Step 6. Create links in email messages and on web pages that point to your special promotional page.

Now whenever you send out an email message, you include -- for instance, in your signature -- a link that says "Click Here for your Free Intro to Dog Care Fundamentals". When someone clicks on one of those links they are taken to your special promotional page. If they are interested in receiving the "Intro...", they fill out the form and submit the information. The autoresponder automatically sends the "Intro..." message you created.

Problems with email

Since it is based in fairly simple email technology, the autoresponder concept is what you might call "old technology". And since email is taking a bit of a beating right now (because of anti-SPAM measures), autoresponders have fallen out of favor in some circles.

One criticism is that email messages are often filtered out by anti-spam systems. If true, this would mean your messages would be sent straight to the "delete" folder and never be seen by their intended recipients.

Another criticism is that it is relatively difficult to set up an autoresponder system. What was your initial reaction to the 6 Steps I
outlined above? As hordes of new "internet marketers" come on stream, many of them have no real knowledge of web page programming. Since the learning curve is too steep, they look to other, less technical solutions. It is much easier just to put your "Intro..." message on a web page and leave it at that. Someone clicks on your link, and they are taken to the web page. No need for any programming.

Advantages of Autoresponders

So why not just take the easy way out — put your "Intro..." message on a web page along with a sales pitch and leave it at that?

Three reasons immediately come to mind...

1. You have no effective way of tracking people who visit a web page. But when people ask for your "Intro..." message via a web form, you capture their name and email address. This is a form of "opting-in". These people are essentially put on an "opt-in" mailing list and are generally considered fair game for receiving information about your new product. Don't abuse this. For instance, don't put them on a general mailing list and send them all kinds of emails about other products.

2. You can use your autoresponder to create a sequence of follow up messages, sent out every three or four days. Every marketer knows that repetition creates familiarity. And familiarity creates trust. And trust leads to sales. So the odds of getting a sale after sending out three or four follow up messages are much higher than the odds of getting a sale from someone just looking at a web page pitch.

3. You can use a sequence of messages to gradually "unfold" the features and benefits of your product. For example, in the first message you talk about doggy diets, in the second message you talk about doggy grooming, in the third you talk about doggy training, etc. And you can even use each message to introduce a different but related product. Since your respondents are already interested in your "Dog Care" book, it is safe to assume they might also be interested in some of your other "Dog Care" products.

If you would like to see a couple of autoresponders in action, go HERE

The oldest, most established supplier of autoresonders is still the best, IMHO. You can find them at AWeber.com

Shared web hosting service - With shared hosting many sites are located on the same server, often with the same ip address. They each have a unique "virtual address". The number of sites on a given server will range from a few hundred to many thousands. Usually all domains share the same pool of server resources, such as RAM, CPU and hard drive storage space.

Reseller web hosting - With a reseller hosting plan clients of web hosting companies become web hosting companies themselves. With a reseller plan a client purchases a set amount of space and data transfer volume, commonly associated with a specific ip address, and is then able to use this space to set up many domains. This space can be used by the reseller himself, or sold to other clients. Reseller accounts come with an interface that lets them set up packages, set pricing, and collect payments automatically. Reseller accounts range in capacity and features from very cheap shared space to full blown dedicated or colocated servers.

There are more expensive web hosting packages available for more intensive operations which include Virtual Dedicated Servers (VDS or VPS for "Virtual Private Servers), Dedicated servers and Colocation Hosting.

Earn 6 Figures Online - Learn How To Make Six Figures On The Internet.

Set your goals and jot them down on a piece of pager. Set short-term reachable goals and long-term higher goals. However, don't set them too high, as this will result in you becoming discouraged if you don't achieve them.

Work consistently towards accomplishing your goals every day, each week and each month until you reach your short-term goals. When you have attained your short-term goals, set them a little higher each time. Ultimately you will achieve your long-term goals.