Three Ways to Increase Traffic TODAY!

Traffic, readers, raving fans -- we all want more. Sure, traffic isn't everything. Small focused traffic is often better than large random traffic. Many successful businessful blogs don't have big traffic, but in general more traffic is much better than less traffic.

Here's three tips you can use to get more traffic today:

Biz Blogging SkypeCast Dec 8th

I'll be doing a SkypeCast with Problogwriters.com on Dec 8th at 10AM EST.

It's free, but you need to download Skype (also free and easy to setup).

An excerpt of the announcement:

"Blog Schmog,"says Infamous Pirate Captain Bly

Blog Schmog: The Truth About What Blogs Can (and Can't) Do For Your Business by Bob Bly is due in Jan. Bob's book is bound to offend some, but probably only those who can use some offending.

Bob has a great interview with Nettie Hartsock here on his thoughts on blogs.

Bob Bly is a breath of fresh air compared to the tiring nonsensical "everyone must blog" and "companies that don't blog are dinosaurs that will soon be extinct."

Now Bob blogs, and I read him regularly. I also subscribe to his ezine and like his books. This one should be no exception!

101+ Tips for Blogging more Efficiently, Effectively and Profitably

My biggest goal from now to Christmas:

Finish CD/audio and book(let) set on 101+ Tips for Blogging more Efficiently, Effectively and Profitably

It'll be tough. First I planned just a booklet. Then the booklet started growing. Then I figured since I have some new audio gear I'd record a CD or maybe two. I need to reign myself in and finish something! And start selling it from my blog/website/Amazon/etc.

The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas - basically the holidays, is often a slow period for me. Not much seems to get done. Setting goals helps me a lot!

This post is part of Instigator's Post-Thanksgiving Group Writing Project - check it out!

The New Influencers

Paul Gillin's not quite yet finished book, The New Influencers, is available online.

It's on social media for marketers, and Paul would love comments on his draft. I've been enjoying reading it myself, and suggest you check it out! Paul obviously "gets it" and writes well -- I'm certainly learning a thing or two!

Blogger.com update ready

Blogger.com is extremely popular blogging software with a bad rap. Although it's owned by Google, it's pretty backwards and missing some basic functionality (like categories and reliability!).

I use Blogger for my original blog, The Ted Rap, and previously reviewed Blogger and rated it "Almost Recommended."

It needed two things to move to recommended status:

Non-bloggers who profit from the blogosphere

Many people who don't blog profit from the blogosphere, just like many people who don't read books benefit from them.

Mike Sansone writes about Jim Foster, a friend and sales professional I highlight in my latest book, who considers blogs an essential sales research tool.

As Mike points out, if blogs only contained useless banter, they still ARE the voices of your customers! You really should be engaging them.

Quick tip from Mike:

Are you about to propose a business deal with a new company? Check to see if anyone is blogging. Conduct a LinkedIn Search for the company's name and add the word "blog" to the search. Check to see what the blogosphere is saying about that company using Technorati or Google Blog Search.

And thanks for being in my book Mike (and the very kind words!).

(and nice to see The Google Blog pick this up!)

Book Review: What No One Ever Tells You About… Blogging and Podcasting

David Meerman Scott, author of Cashing In With Content and all around good guy gives a very posiitive review of my latest book. An excerpt follows:

I just finished reading the fun and fast book What No One Ever Tells You About… Blogging and Podcasting by Ted Demopoulos. This is a great read for anyone looking for some encouragement and case examples of real people who blog and podcast. Unlike some books that focus on celebrity bloggers such as Bob Lutz, GM Vice Chairman and his Fast Lane blog, Ted profiles "regular people" and also spends some time on other aspects of blogging such as why you should be monitoring blogs to find out what people are saying about you and your organization and its products and services.

David appears in the book himself with some great suggestions on  "Marketing with Content: Don’t interrupt people; instead, attract them with value." Thanks for being in the book David, and looking forward to your forthcoming The New Rules of Marketing and PR.

Why Blogging is a Priority for Me

How can blogging possibly be a priority? I'm overloaded -- too much to do just like everyone else but maybe even more so!

I recently listed my "Top 3 High Payoff Activities" after sitting in a talk by Melanie Strick

They are:

• Promote my books, What No One Ever tells You About Blogging and Podcasting and Blogging for Business
• Work which creates current income
• Product and service development

Hmmm, lets see. Current income no, but blogging is one of the primary methods I use to promote my books, and my soon to released business blogging CDs and other info products are all being developed via blogging -- the info is available free on my blog, and updated and organized versions in various formats will be for sale soon.

So, blogging directly supports 2 out of my Top 3 High Payoff Activities. I guess I'd better keep blogging!

New category: Shameless Self Promotion

I've added a new category: Shameless Self Promotion

Now I've recently learned to be shameless, and this gives me a way to openly say, "This might be a little over the edge, a little too promotional, but I'm declaring it up front."

This fits in well with the blogosphere and transparency - nothing hidden.