The Comment Train

All Aboard! Your Big Day Ideas

2010-10-14T17:36:00.000-07:00

The Comment Train is visiting:

A Bride's Guide To All Things Wedding. Also a dofollow blog!

Join The Comment Train

2010-06-21T22:57:00.001-07:00

Like commenting?
Love getting comments?

Well then, you've found the right place! Join The Comment Train to be the featured blogger. We are trying to gather a good, solid group of commentators to get this train going.

After we have a few more members, we will start featuring a member each day for others to visit and comment on their posts.

Also, members shpuld comment on the commentator above them to create a train effect. That way, everyone will get comments each day, yay!

All you have to do is following the directions and leave a comment to join. Be sure to subscribe and check back daily to leave your comments!

To Join:

You must agree to the rules and terms & conditions.
Leave your blog in a comment.
Visit the commentator's blog above you and leave a comment (visit at your own risk)
Add the "The Comment Train" button or link to your blog so others know you want comments!

Add This:

127x127 Button

Simple Text Link

Join the Comment Train!

How to Get Traffic to New Blog

2010-06-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

Author: sofia

If you are new to blogging and tried a few ideas so far, you would have realised it that at some point you need to learn how to get traffic to a new blog.

Sometimes, newbies get frustrated when they do not see results in a few days. Let me assure you one thing, before I go ahead with showing you how to get traffic to a new blog, there is no short cut to tons of traffic in a few days. However, there are proven systems that many experienced bloggers use. These systems work and in time you will start getting traffic to your blog.

If you have been searching Google for answers on how to get traffic to new blog, you probably seen a few ‘quick get rich schemes’ which promise you that you will have it all if only you buy the X,Y, Z product. Well, unfortunately most of these do not work.

My simple advice is going to be this:

To get traffic to your blog you need to first choose a great Niche Market. This market must be offering a solution to a problem that people search for. You need to narrow this niche market, so you beat the competition. For example, instead of creating a blog on 'healthy diets', you can look at 'healthy diets for 30 year olds'. Once you have this small niche, check out for websites on the first page of search engines for any competition. Once you happy with your market, then search for keywords you are going to target. There are many free tools online for keyword research, so my advice is to use them.

Make lots of notes and try to put yourself in your readers shoes.
What words do you think they will type in the search engines to find the solutions to their problem?

What resources they might be interested in?
Are they paid adverts on the pages your keywords appear?

Read your competitors websites and blogs. What do they offer? Are they selling any e-products, e-books?

So, this is the key to having a succesfull blog. You need to do your research really well. There is no point creating a blog and then finding out in a year that noone is interested in the market you have chosen.

After you have completed the niche market section, you can write articles posts for your blog. Three to four posts a week is great to start with. After all this you need to learn how to get Backlinks with anchor texts.

Thats all I do and I enjoy the results. So, how do you get backlinks?

1- Article Marketing
2- Forum Comments
3- Link Exchanges
4- Social Networking

Once you learn the above areas, I can assure you that you will start seeing the traffic to your new blog. You must stick with the system and enjoy the process. Some newbies who learn how to add backlinks with anchor texts already have high page rank blogs. This is a process and like anything in life, you must put some time in to it.

Here you can learn some simple tips and join free e courses that offer valuable help How To Get Traffic To New Blog

Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1603784_13.html

How to Build an Eager Subscriber list

2010-06-19T15:26:00.000-07:00

Every online business provides great service to generate satisfaction among their customers. As each and every customer receives satisfaction over their products or the services they get, there is a great chance that they will become a return customer and buy again. Better yet, they will recommend you to other people that could generate more business for you and your site.

As more traffic is driven to your site, you can entice many of them to subscribe to your mailing list or opt-in list. This is a list where in website visitors agree to be sent promotional materials such as newsletters, catalogs and such that could keep them updated about your site or the niche of your site. These promotional materials are sent via e-mail to the members of the list in different time intervals.

When using e-mail as the media of your marketing and advertisements, you eliminate the need for high costs. Email is free and if you can manage to make your own promotional advertisements you can also save a bundle there. With an opt-in subscribers list, you are pretty sure that what you are sending out is received, viewed and read by the subscribers and not simply being deleted. They have signed up for service and have consented in receiving it.

This means that there are constant reminders to your subscribers about all your products, new products and services as well as any promotions and special deals you are having. There is also the chance that they can be forwarded to other potential customers as they tell their friends and families about you and your site.

Of course you should be also aware that a subscriber may unsubscribe when they feel that they are not getting what they want or expected. Make sure that they are satisfied with your opt-in marketing strategies and keep them excited in receiving your newsletters and catalogs. Here are some tips that can help you build a list of eager subscribers.

Make your promotional materials interesting and fun. Try to use a little creativity but not too over artsy. Build around what your product or service is about. For example; if you are selling car parts, put some pictures of what is new in the auto parts world, a new wing door possibly that can fit any car and make it look like a Lamborghini.

Try to research what people are looking for, these way, you stay one step ahead of them all the time and you will be their bearer of new tidings. They will be eager to receive what you are sending them because they new you always have fresh and new things to share with them.

Write good articles that can be very informational but light at the same time. If your subscribers enjoy your articles, they will go to your site by clicking the links that you will be putting on your newsletter to read some more. You can provide articles that can connect to many people. Be diverse in your articles. Put something humorous, then put something informational, then put something that has both.

Are you wary about this because you don't like writing? No problem, there are many professional and experienced article writers that can do the job for you for minimal fees. They know what they are doing and can provide the need that you have for your newsletters, the money that you pay for your articles are going to be met by the many sign-ups and the potential profit from the sales that you will get.

Create and send an E-book to your customers about anything that is related to your business or site. Use your knowledge and expertise in the field you have chosen to help other people who are similarly interested. Offer this e-book for free. You can write about anything informational and helpful to your subscribers. For example; you can do manuals and guides in so many things. This e-book could be used as a reference for many people.

Share this e-book with everyone, even other sites; just make sure that they don't change the links in the e-book that will lead people to your site. If you want, you can always get some people to write it for you just like your articles. Your investment once again will be covered by the great marketing this will generate.

Add e-coupons in your newsletters that will help them avail to special discounts. Put a control number in your e-coupon so that they can only be used once. When people get discounts that can be found in your newsletters, they will be eager to receive your newsletter in anticipation of what you are promoting next.
If your subscribers can get benefits from your newsletters, they will be very eager to receive them. Just don't flood your mailing list with mails so that you don't annoy your subscribers. " Remember if you look in the right direction all is good in the World" jp

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Feel free to distribute this article in any form as long as you include this resource box

http://affiliatecashsecrets.com/index/65359/8 you can also include your affiliate link when you sign up at my website www.mpelements.com

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_501209_3.html

Stumped For What to Write About? 15 Article Topic Ideas...

2010-06-13T16:06:00.000-07:00

Author: Steve Shaw

Do you ever dread sitting down to write because you're just not sure what to write about?

When you're doing article marketing, you need to create a steady flow of articles. You may be just getting started and haven't gotten into a writing groove yet. Or maybe you've written tons of articles and are feeling like you've written about your topic in every way you possibly can.

I assure you--you have more creative writing ideas in you. You just need a little help in looking at your topic in a new way to come up with new writing ideas.

Use these 15 article ideas to start your next brainstorming session:

1- Use a keyword suggestion tool such as WordTracker to look up searches that people are doing related to your topic. When you find a search term that is popular for your topic, then write an article to satisfy that term.

2- Take a look at your website stats and see what people have been typing into search engines to reach your site. Write articles to satisfy those searches.

3- Forums: Look at popular forums in our niche and see what topics are hot. Pick out some questions that people are asking that you think your target market might also be wondering, and then write an article that answers that question.

4- Blogs: Start following some popular blogs in your niche, and see what topics strike a nerve with the readers. You can usually tell what topics are hot by how many comments the post has. Sometimes just looking at the comments on a topic is enough to spark ideas for new articles.

5- Newsletters: Subscribe to newsletters in your niche and see what catches your eye. Use a compelling newsletter topic as a jump start for your next article.

6- Google Alerts: Create Google Alerts for each of your keywords and see what other folks are writing about your topic. The idea is to just catch an idea--you can cover the same or similar topic in a new way, with a new perspective, and with different information.

7- Solicit questions. If you have a blog or a newsletter list, ask your readers if they have any questions for you. Take the best questions and write articles that provide answers.

8- How To articles. What can you teach your readers? Think of a specific lesson, technique, or skill that your target market needs to know in order to succeed in your niche, and then walk them step-by-step through how to do it. Numbering each step helps readers follow your instructions more easily.

9- Top Tips articles, or any list article. All articles do not have to be in essay form--some articles can be lists. Be sure to include an intro and concluding paragraph and to choose an overarching theme that your readers would be interested in. For example, this article is a list article. My overarching theme is "article topic ideas". All of the elements of my list contribute to that theme.

10- Got an e-book that you've written? You can break your e-book(s) up into articles. You can also use your table of contents as an article idea list.

11-Look at your newsletter messages--turn them into articles.

12- If you've done any audio interviews, you can turn them into articles. Just re-listen to the interview, take notes, and then create articles based on the information you covered in the interview.

13- Customer support replies--have you ever written a customer support
reply that was so thorough, instructional, and useful that you thought you should share it with all of your readers? Some customer support replies are worthy of being turned into articles.

14- Forum replies and blog comments. If you leave really insightful, helpful, and knowledgeable blog comments, consider turning them into articles. Now, these comments have to have some depth and meat to them. You might have to develop the idea further to make it into an article.

15- Write a "Top 7" article and then bounce an article off of each of the 7 items. That way you get 8 articles out of one Top 7 list!

Use this article idea list to brainstorm your next 15 (or more!) articles. How many article ideas were you able to come up with from this list?

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Steve Shaw is an article marketing expert, and founder of the popular article submission service, SubmitYOURArticle.com, used by thousands of business owners. Discover how to use the power of article marketing to reach thousands of potential prospects for your website - download a powerful free report on successful article marketing from http://www.submityourarticle.com/report.

Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1315577_50.html

10 Tips to Attract Traffic to Your Blog

2010-06-13T10:49:00.000-07:00

Author: nigen

One of the oft-asked questions by newbie bloggers is, "How can I attract more visitors to my blog?" I often receive email requests which ask for tips on how to increase their blog's traffic. First, I'll start with an honest answer. I wish I knew all the answers myself.

Well, I don't. But what I do know is a series of sure shot lessons I've learnt that's helped me make my blog get a significant readership over the last nine years of blogging. Let me start with tips that will help you expand your blog's reach.

Get your own domain
Kick out the secondary blog addresses like http://yourname.blogspot.com. Buy your own domain. It costs less than Rs 500 and it's a small price to pay. Show you are a professional. Show you are serious enough.

Get your custom email
This has been my blog's best marketing tool. My email is 'Kiruba@Kiruba.com' and I don't use any other free emails. Every time I send an email, I promote my site in a subtle manner. My point is, why promote Yahoo or Hotmail, when you can promote yourself. The best part is that one can use GMail for domains, which means that you get all the best features of GMail and yet retain your own identity.

Publish your URL in stationaries
Use it in your email signatures. Use it in your business card. In your letter pad. Heck, I even have it on my helmet.

Add a blogroll
It's the equivalent of 'you scratch my back, and I scratch your back'. Sign up with Blogrolling.com. Add up your frequently read blogs.

Activate ping

If you are using blogger.com, activate the ping option. Pinging is an easy way of letting other sites know that you have updated your blog. They help push your site to the top on account of freshness of content.

Register your blog at directories
It is important for you to be found. The easiest way to do this is to list yourself in important directories. It takes manual effort but its well worth it. Why wouldn't you want to be here?

Provide RSS feeds
Many people use Newsreaders to subscribe to their frequently read blogs. Don't miss out on this crowd. Make sure your site has RSS feeds. If you don't know what this is, ask a tech friend.

Write daily
When people visit your site, they invest in their time and internet time. And more importantly, they think about you. Respect that. Don't make them turnback empty handed.

Comment on other sites
Let's be honest. We love receiving comments. And invariably check out the commentor's blog. It's an effective way to introduce your blog to others. However, be honest in your commenting. Don't comment for numbers' sake. Comment, so you can engage in a discussion.

Keep your posts short and sharp
I hate reading long posts. And am sure so do others. If you can't help it, at least break it into smaller paragraphs and provide sub-headings.
Like I said, these are my personal opinion. I am fairly sure these will work for you for sure. If you have a point that's helped your blog, we'd love to hear it from you.

Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1514154_81.html

3 Ways to Recognize Blog Spam

2010-06-13T08:12:00.001-07:00

Author: TJ Philpott

Blog spam is an unfortunate by-product that comes with the encouraged interactivity on blogging sites. When viewers visit your site it is always good to have them post comments In fact many people judge how popular blogs are based upon the amount of comments they see.

Of course most site owners would like to see comments that are constructive and helpful towards the development of the site itself. However there are many online who use this opportunity to be nothing more than disruptive or for their own promotional purposes. Even worse are those who submit links that are malicious in nature and therefore pose a threat to you and your readers.

Since it would be nearly impossible to prevent spam like this there are ways a blog owner can identify and reduce the amount of spam that shows up in comments.

Here are 3 different 'warning signs' you can use when people post comments to your blog as to whether it is something you should approve or delete.

Keywords as Names

Any comment that is left without the name of a person is usually a big flag. Normally these spammers use keywords instead of a name in an attempt to get back-links to their sites. These people are simply trawling for traffic and likely use software to post comments.

Generic Comment

Comments left that say very little other than some polite chatter or remark about nothing in particular is a strong clue they have been software generated. These comments tend to 'draw you in' based upon their complimentary nature.

Another style (if you want to call it that) spammers use when they post comments is making critical or inflammatory remarks.

You simply need to look at these comments closely to see if they 'really' have anything to say that can be related to the post.

Comment is Irrelevant

These comments are fairly easy to recognize and usually target sites that do not use any type of spam filter. The remark normally contains information or a response that is clearly NOT intended for the blog they are found on. These spammers are the most irreverent since they blatantly 'hawk' their own sites or simply aim to be disruptive.

Blog spam is just another unfortunate by-product that comes with blogging sites that encourage and experience reader interactivity. The fact of the matter many visitors will judge how popular blogs are upon the number of comments they see. Site owners do want people to post comments that can be used for constructive purposes bit it is hard to prevent spam showing up in these comments. The 3 warning signs discussed above can be use to detect and minimize the amount of spam you approve for posting on your site. By filtering spam in this way you will be protecting your readers from potentially malicious sites. The net result will be an increased feeling of security and satisfaction by your readers when visiting your site.

TJ Philpott is an author and Internet entrepreneur based out of North Carolina.
To learn more about minimizing blog spam on your site and to also receive a free instructional manual that teaches valuable niche research techniques simply visit:http://blogbrawn.com/

Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1529193_13.html

7 Ways to Leave Comments and Drive Traffic Back to Your Blog

2010-06-11T15:35:00.000-07:00

Author: AskAmberDawn

People say that to make an impression, you'll have to open your mouth. While that is physically impossible in the virtual world of the Internet, saying your piece is not entirely difficult to do. Thanks to forums and discussion boards, you can leave a comment or start a discussion thread about virtually any topic from anywhere in the world. And yes, you can even leave comments to drive traffic to your blog and increase your readership.

Leaving effective comments

You're probably old enough to know that not every comment that gets thrown into an opportunity for interaction creates the desired effect, much less become appreciated by those who hear or read it. If you don't use this technique carefully, you will either waste the opportunity or simply allow it to create the wrong impression. Here are 7 ways you ought to do it:

Choose the sites you leave comments on

Ever wondered why Tiger Woods is great? Because he chooses his battles well. You'll never find Woods swinging his club at a lesser known tournament – not because he's a snob but because he focuses on the games that truly matter and on being on equal ground with other greats.

Keep this in mind before you leave comments on a website. Just because you have the burning need to drive traffic to your blog doesn’t mean you can just drop by a site – any site – and write there.

Choose the sites and blogs whose forums you participate with. Find out if the site deals with a topic or subject related to your very own blog. Practice only purposeful commenting – the kind where you leave only well-crafted comments on sites that will help build the buzz about your blog.

If the site is completely irrelevant but you have the urge to leave a comment, do so only during your spare time. Otherwise, focus your energies only on more productive activities.

Know what you're saying

Before you leave a comment with the purpose of driving traffic to your blog, at least write one that is useful. Your goal is to be noticed AND respected for your opinions so leaving useless and dead end comments such as 'Cool!' and 'Way to go!' just won't cut it.

If this is the best you can do, forget about leaving comments right now and focus on other strategies to drive traffic to your blog. Better avoid this technique than be embarrassed or be viewed as lame or mediocre.

But if you can write and have something meaningful to say, by all means, do so. With every comment you have, make sure you keep it short, concise, to the point and useful. Talk about relevant topics and avoid those that will do nothing for your purpose.

Avoid strong language

Of course, some sites will probably allow you to leave comments that are strongly worded or at least camouflaged as symbols such as !#$%&*, but there are ways to get your point across, regardless of how angry, upset or argumentative you are.

Furthermore, majority of sites and blogs impose certain regulations that restrict the use of certain words. Try to rephrase a sentence without losing its main thought. Use an online thesaurus, if necessary. Remember that once a comment is posted online, there's no way to get it back especially if it's not your site. You can leave that comment there to rot but you can never take it back.

Do not be rude

Have a sense of humor. The Internet is a vast expanse of space, currently limitless. In fact, it's a whole universe unto itself. If people leave comments on your post that seem to insult you or argue with you, don't fight back without thinking.

First of all, we are a democracy and people have every right to their own opinion. Second, firing back with the same kind of idiotic language will not be a good reflection on you. Third, you're way better than that. If you must defend your stand, do so with class.

Calm down

Please, if you must drive traffic to your blog by leaving comments on other websites, keep it professional and tone it down. DON'T LEAVE MESSAGES LIKE THIS ONE!!!!!!

A good rule of thumb is to follow accepted structure of the English language or whatever language it is you're using to post. If you must use exclamatory points, make sure they are truly needed. Otherwise, avoid them.

Leaving comments written in purely bold or capitalized letter smacks of desperation and unprofessionalism. It's hardselling and makes people stay away in droves.

Check replies to your blogs

Maximize commenting on other sites and drive traffic by frequently checking back on the forum you participated in to see if there are any replies to the post you left. This is a good way to build buzz and network.

Check your facts

If you will be quoting someone or citing a certain study, make sure your facts can be corroborated. Don't use make believe or newly invented figures and statements or even half-truths and try to pass them off as legit. You will be exposed. If you want to drive traffic to your blog by leaving comments, make sure you don't tarnish your reputation with the effort.

For additional information on how to maximize traffic flow to your site click here:

http://askamberdawn.com/rapidmasstraffic.php

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1568591_81.html

Occupation: Online Marketing

I have a passion for providing people throughout the world with opportunities to improve their lives through Self-help & Self Improvement, Health & Wellness, Income & Wealth and Relationship Issues. I also take part in Online Marketing & Advertising as well as several other Direct Marketing Businesses.

For more information about me & the work I do, please visit:

http://askamberdawn.com/articles.php

http://askamberdawn.myevolv.com

Welcome!

2010-05-31T07:59:00.001-07:00

Image: J Frasse / FreeDigitalPhotos.net