Postdating Your Blog Posts in Blogger

Time was, if you wanted to postdate your blog posts and have them published automatically on the date you chose, you had to use blogging software other than Blogger.

About time Blogger clued in and created a way for us to do the same on its platform.

Now you can type your blog post whenever it's convenient, and Blogger will automatically publish it for you at the time you scheduled.

To schedule a post in Blogger:

1. Type up your post like normal.
2. Click the Post Options link at the bottom of your post.
3. Put in the Post date and time that you choose.
4. Click on Publish Post.

Your post will automatically be published at the time and the date you selected.

How (and Why) You Should Brand Your Virtual Assistant Blog

If you keep a personal blog, it's fine to write about whatever you want. If your blog is intended to promote your business, you have to keep your audience in mind.

How do you keep your blog appealing to your target market? How can you capture their interest and keep them coming back for more?

The answer lies in "branding" your blog. Develop a distinct flavor for your blog that reflects the character of your business, and positions you as the expert in your field.

Here is an article that you might find helpful when you plan how you can brand your blog.

The Value of Branding Your Blog by Grace Chen

Harnessing the marketing power of your blog is an excellent strategy for growing your business. With the many benefits of blogs, including SEO and developing customer loyalty, even Fortune 500 companies are jumping on the bandwagon. However, utilizing blogs is not as simple as writing articles that optimize your company’s keywords.

Seeing your blog as an extension of your marketing and branding efforts is the key to maximizing the benefits of blogging. Remember, the purpose of your blog is to attract your target customer base – and keep them coming back for more. With that said, there are several strategies you can utilize to maximize the marketing power of your blog.

What does your blog say about your company? Read the rest of the article.

Keeping Up Your Blog When You Don't Have Time to Blog

So, you have a blog, and you have topics to blog about...

But oftentimes blogs are abandoned because a blogger simply doesn't have time to blog!

You don't have to let that happen to you. :)

Consider outsourcing your blogging to a professional ghostwriter who can mimic your blogging style, and make sure you always have something to say - even when you don't have any time to say it!

If you're looking for a ghostwriter who can do all that, I can help you out. Come visit me at WAHM Articles, and let me know just what it is you need.

Blog Topics- What to Say When You Have Nothing to Say

by Vicki Arnold

Even the most passionate of bloggers have moments of writer’s block. There is no need to fret or, worse, abandon your blog when these moments strike. Having a list of back-up topics will keep you going. And, the good news is this applies across many topics or niches. These are general posts that you can tailor specifically to your blog.

When In Doubt, Get Personal

One of the strengths of great bloggers is the ability to connect directly with their readers. Their readers feel as if the writer is speaking directly to them, even if the blog has hundreds or thousands of readers. Sharing a personal struggle or success lets your reader celebrate or empathize with you. Share the quirks in your personality. There is a balance, though. Your readers probably don’t want to know your bathroom habits.

People Love Lists

They are quick and easy reads. They are a break from traditional writing format. They can be serious or fun. Add value to your lists by providing relevant, quality links.

I Hate to Bring Up the Past, But it Works

Look at your archives and reread some of your work. Find an old post and add some new thoughts in a new post. You may find you completely missed a point or you purposefully left it out for length. You may find that your opinion has changed on the matter. Provide a link to the previous text in your new post so the reader will have no trouble finding the information you are referencing.

This is Just Trivial

Do some quick research to find interesting tidbits about your topic. Create a series of “did you know” facts. Share the foundation of your company. Do you have a touching or funny story about how you started blogging? Share it. These posts tend to be a fun break in the routine of posting.

You can write several of these types of posts well before you need them. Save them as a Draft and use them as needed. Just be sure that all links still work and there is no time sensitive material that needs updating. Oftentimes, these random posts will inspire a “real” post and demolish that writer’s block in no time.



For more ideas on blogging topics, visit the Supplemental Blogging Topics article from Simply Vicki at http://www.simplyvicki.com/special-interests/supplemental-blogging-topics/. This article may be reprinted as long as the content remains intact, including the credit and last paragraph.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Setting up a Virtual Assistant Blog

Have you started blogging yet?

It's becoming more and more common for Virtual Assistants to have blogs. A blog is a tool to help you keep in touch with your clients (and potential clients) so they can see what you're up to, and get to know you a little bit.

Also, a blog can be interactive, and you can dialog with your readers, invite their comments, and respond to their feedback.

If you plan to use your blog to interact with your readers, change your blog settings to accept comments. I once read a blog post by a VA who was wondering why no one was commenting on her blog. I was ready to leave my own comment, but when I tried, I found her blog didn't accept comments!

So, once your blog is set up, make sure you check your settings and that people can actually comment on your blog

Which blogging software is right for you?

That depends on how technically savvy you are, and how dedicated you are to your blog.

Blogger, which this blog runs on, is super-easy to use. You can set up your blogger account and get your blog off and running in about 5 minutes. You can host your blog on the Blogger server as well.

Most of my other blogs are Wordpress, which I actually prefer to Blogger, and are hosted on my own Web servers.

Some other options are Moveable Type and Greymatter. These are both programs you host yourself, which I like because it gives you more control.

I haven't used either of these, however I have been told by people who know that Moveable Type can be difficult to install, but fabulous to use.

Greymatter, "the original opensource weblogging software" has lots of features and pretty easy to install.

There's really no right or wrong choice when it comes to choosing your blogging software. The important thing is, which blogging software will you actually use?

The Virtual Assistant and Blogging

So here you are, a new Virtual Assistant. Your business is open and you want to move to the next step.

You know that blogging is a helpful marketing tool, and that it would help your new business. On the other hand, you are not sure where to start. Have no fear; it is easier than you think.

The first step in starting your own blog is to decide what you want to blog about. There are all types of blogs out there from rants, journals, poems, opinions etc.

A blog is a medium where you use the written word to express yourself. To make your blog interesting is should be concise, informative, well written grammatically and with no typos.

It's easy to start a blog. You can join a blogging website, like Blogger. (where the blog you're reading right now lives!) or Wordpress. It is free to sign up and the steps in opening an account are easy to follow.

Most blogging websites will offer free templates. If you decide that you would like to have something more to your taste, there are also web sites that will create templates to your choice with the features of your liking.

A helpful blogging resource is Blog U, where you can learn creative blogging and how to personalize your blog.

By far, blogging is the best investment of time a Virtual Assistant may make. By blogging, you will be able to keep your clients informed and share your expertise and knowledge with a larger audience.

Without a doubt, blogging is one of the most popular tools across the internet. A business blog for a Virtual Assistant is a profitable move and one that will reach millions of possible customers. Blogging is fun, simple, easy, and worthwhile.

Personalize Your Virtual Assistant Blog

Blogging is a valuable marketing tool for your Virtual Assistant business.

It's not just about what you write in your blog, though. The appearance of your blog counts too. Having a blog that looks like everyone else's can be a little boring, for both you and your readers.

If you want to learn how to personalize your blog, you can learn creative blogging by visiting Blog U.

And if you don't feel like doing all the work by yourself, Designed by Lara provides custom blog design at an affordable price.

Why You Need a Blog for Your Virtual Business

Are you still wondering how you can use a blog to make your business happen? Alice Seba has put together a quick guide called “The Bloggin’ Expert: Be The Go To Guy or Gal in Your Market”

Click here to read Alice’s post, and to get your own copy. This free pdf download is a MUST read for any virtual business owner who wants to be known as the expert in her field. (That sounds like you, doesn't it? )

Keep Potential Clients Coming Back to Your Virtual Assistant Website

The success of your virtual assistant website will depend on returning visitors. Returning visitors are easier to convert into paying clients because the more often they return to a site, the more they will grow to trust you and your site. As visitors return to your site and again, you will slowly gain credibility with them, and they will be easier to convert into paying clients.

Here are some ways you can keep potential clients coming back for more:

1) Start a forum, chatroom or shoutbox

When you start a forum, chatroom or shoutbox, you are giving your visitors a place to voice their opinions and interact with their peers, and with you. As conversations build up, a sense of community will also follow and your visitors will come back to your site every day.

Starting a forum doesn't have to cost a lot. FreeForums.org offers free forum hosting and is easy to get started with.

2) Start a blog

Keep an online journal, or blog, on your site and keep it updated with latest news about yourself, your business, and information of interest to your target market. Human beings are curious creatures and they will keep their eyes glued to the monitor if you post fresh news frequently. You will also build up your credibility as you are proving to them that there is also a real life person behind the website.

You can set up a blog for free at http://www.blogger.com and find free and affordable Blogger templates at Designed by Lara.

3) Carry out polls or surveys

Polls and surveys are other forms of interaction that you should definitely consider adding to your site. They provide a quick way for visitors to voice their opinions and to get involved in your website. Be sure to publish polls or surveys that are strongly relevant to the target market of your website to keep them interested to find out about the results.

Survey Monkey is another free, easy-to-use program. It offers a lot of flexibility in creating surveys to get the answers you need.

4) Offer puzzles, quizzes, games and prizes

Just imagine how many office workers procrastinate at work every day, and you will be able to gauge how many people will keep visiting your site if you provide a very interesting or addicting way of entertainment. You can also hold competitions to award the high score winner to keep people trying continuously to earn the prize.

5) Update frequently with fresh content

Update your site frequently with fresh content so that every time your visitors come back, they will have something to read on your site. This is the most effective method of attracting returning visitors. No one will want to browse a site that nv, so keep your site updated with fresh bites!

You don't need to spend a lot of time writing content. You can look for quality reprint articles from an article directory such as WAHM Articles.

How to Measure Your Results and Focus on What Really Works

Angela Wills at Internet Profit Planning recently posted that, after reviewing where her new clients are coming from, she has decided to focus less on her blog and more on the sites that were actually working for her.

She asks her readers a good question: Are you working too hard at something that's not working out?

Her blog post also reminded me of a recent article by Alicia Forest about how to measuring results for your business.

How can you know what's working if you don't know how to measure your results?

Here's the full article by Alice: Measure Your Results for Faster, Easier and More Success

And here's the original blog post that inspired me today.

Is your virtual assistant blog a winner?

More and more virtual assistants are blogging and letting their clients get to know the entrepreneur on the other side of the Internet connection.

Here are some things you can do in your virutal assistant blog:

• Give your clients and colleagues a peek at the personal side of your life. We all like to know we're dealing with a real person online!
• Post regular tips and tricks for your clients. It's a great way to keep visitors and clients coming back to your site.
• Share your latest news, without waiting for the next edition of your newsletter to go out.
• Write articles for your target market
  

If you're a member of VANA (Virtual Assistant Networking Association) your blog can reap other rewards too. The association gives the VA Blog of the Week Award 52 times a year to one of its over 7 000 members.

The VA Blog of the Week Awards recognize the virtual assistant's professionalism on the web and on his or her business blog.

And just what does an award winning blog look like? Take a look at the most recent winner, Right-Hand-Man Virtual Assistant Services.

The prize? Public recognition by other virtual assistants that your business is respected and credible.

You do have to be a member of VANA to win, though. If you're a virtual assistant, or thinking about becoming a virtual assistant, you really should be a member anyways!

They have awesome articles (including some of mine :)), helpful links, a Virtual Assistant Directory, RFPs, and - most importantly - the answers to all your virtual business questions!