nts are a strategic foundation for building up strong reader-author relationships.

- Build up a solid community by joining social networking sites like mybloglog or spicypage. This is not so easy as it seems. To build up this community you’ll need to take your time, browse the member blogs and contact their authors. The contact should never sound like: “Hi, loved your blog. Visit mine”. Try to make a smarter comment. Pinch an entry and underline what you liked about it. This

It’s useless to define the term: everyone knows what a blog is. And if they don’t, there are plenty of definitions online, from the simple “online journal” to more philosophical, thought provoking, puzzling definitions.

From a corporate perspective a blog is a marketing tool. From the perspective of a citizen journalist… the blog is a dialogue tool. A freelance writer will use the blogging platform as a self-publishing tool.

There are different reasons for a blog to come into existence, but all aim success and social recognition (meaning acceptance and popularity within social media communities).

Publishing a successful blog is not an easy task for those with less experience in the fine art of dialoguing. A blog is a tool that enables its administrator or writer to share personal thoughts and information while engaging the readers into a virtual conversation.

To publish a successful blog you have to know your readers, understand their needs and live up to their expectations. Blogs are dynamic constructions. They need constant updating. If the conversation stagnates, your blog might become a ruin.

If you compare a blog to a traditional website you’ll note that, although easier to publish and “enhance” (update with fresh content), it requires more work. This is a living entity: it requires care, attention, nurturing. The social networking portals are “water for life”. You’ll have to connect with other bloggers, exchange ideas, ask questions, learn about widgets and other tools to enhance your construction, help them building up their own blogs and networks: a constant cooperation, especially between blogs within the same niche, is the key to publishing a successful blog. There are some strategic procedures that will help you make the best out of your blog:

- Leave meaningful comments on the blogs you like. Be polite and respectful. Treat others, as you would like them to treat you. Comments are a strategic foundation for building up strong reader-author relationships.

- Build up a solid community by joining social networking sites like mybloglog or spicypage. This is not so easy as it seems. To build up this community you’ll need to take your time, browse the member blogs and contact their authors. The contact should never sound like: “Hi, loved your blog. Visit mine”. Try to make a smarter comment. Pinch an entry and underline what you liked about it. This

nto existence, but all aim success and social recognition (meaning acceptance and popularity within social media communities).

Publishing a successful blog is not an easy task for those with less experience in the fine art of dialoguing. A blog is a tool that enables its administrator or writer to share personal thoughts and information while engaging the readers into a virtual conversation.

To publish a successful blog you have to know your readers, understand their needs and live up to their expectations. Blogs are dynamic constructions. They need constant updating. If the conversation stagnates, your blog might become a ruin.

If you compare a blog to a traditional website you’ll note that, although easier to publish and “enhance” (update with fresh content), it requires more work. This is a living entity: it requires care, attention, nurturing. The social networking portals are “water for life”. You’ll have to connect with other bloggers, exchange ideas, ask questions, learn about widgets and other tools to enhance your construction, help them building up their own blogs and networks: a constant cooperation, especially between blogs within the same niche, is the key to publishing a successful blog. There are some strategic procedures that will help you make the best out of your blog:

- Leave meaningful comments on the blogs you like. Be polite and respectful. Treat others, as you would like them to treat you. Comments are a strategic foundation for building up strong reader-author relationships.

- Build up a solid community by joining social networking sites like mybloglog or spicypage. This is not so easy as it seems. To build up this community you’ll need to take your time, browse the member blogs and contact their authors. The contact should never sound like: “Hi, loved your blog. Visit mine”. Try to make a smarter comment. Pinch an entry and underline what you liked about it. This

nd live up to their expectations. Blogs are dynamic constructions. They need constant updating. If the conversation stagnates, your blog might become a ruin.

If you compare a blog to a traditional website you’ll note that, although easier to publish and “enhance” (update with fresh content), it requires more work. This is a living entity: it requires care, attention, nurturing. The social networking portals are “water for life”. You’ll have to connect with other bloggers, exchange ideas, ask questions, learn about widgets and other tools to enhance your construction, help them building up their own blogs and networks: a constant cooperation, especially between blogs within the same niche, is the key to publishing a successful blog. There are some strategic procedures that will help you make the best out of your blog:

- Leave meaningful comments on the blogs you like. Be polite and respectful. Treat others, as you would like them to treat you. Comments are a strategic foundation for building up strong reader-author relationships.

- Build up a solid community by joining social networking sites like mybloglog or spicypage. This is not so easy as it seems. To build up this community you’ll need to take your time, browse the member blogs and contact their authors. The contact should never sound like: “Hi, loved your blog. Visit mine”. Try to make a smarter comment. Pinch an entry and underline what you liked about it. This

hange ideas, ask questions, learn about widgets and other tools to enhance your construction, help them building up their own blogs and networks: a constant cooperation, especially between blogs within the same niche, is the key to publishing a successful blog. There are some strategic procedures that will help you make the best out of your blog:

- Leave meaningful comments on the blogs you like. Be polite and respectful. Treat others, as you would like them to treat you. Comments are a strategic foundation for building up strong reader-author relationships.

- Build up a solid community by joining social networking sites like mybloglog or spicypage. This is not so easy as it seems. To build up this community you’ll need to take your time, browse the member blogs and contact their authors. The contact should never sound like: “Hi, loved your blog. Visit mine”. Try to make a smarter comment. Pinch an entry and underline what you liked about it. This

nts are a strategic foundation for building up strong reader-author relationships.

- Build up a solid community by joining social networking sites like mybloglog or spicypage. This is not so easy as it seems. To build up this community you’ll need to take your time, browse the member blogs and contact their authors. The contact should never sound like: “Hi, loved your blog. Visit mine”. Try to make a smarter comment. Pinch an entry and underline what you liked about it. This will show to the author that you actually mean what you say.

- Participate in meme games. Carry on the conversation and spread link love. Don’t be afraid to link to other blogs just to protect your Google PageRanks. If you didn’t know it by now, Google likes outbound links and if they are relevant for the content of a post you might even rank higher in the Google SERPs (this is rather complicated to explain, but take my word for it).

- Always put your readers first. Try to offer something unique, of real value every now and then. An idea. A tip. Publish an ebook and offer it free. This is how successful bloggers build strong relationships with their readers. Follow these basic rules and you’ll soon be the publisher of a successful blog. And remember: it’s all about the people!