10 essential blogging tools:
You’ve finally decided to take the blog. You’ve heard all about the benefits of marketing and research, so you’ve taken the lead and signed up for a TypePad, MovableType, or WordPress blogging package and now you’re a blogger.
Ok, now what? Add the ten essential blogging tools listed below and you will also be on your way to creating and promoting a blog that is a powerful marketing tool. I will explain the use of the tool and offer some suggestions, including the tools I use on my own blogs, including the DuctTapeMarketing blog.
Stream reader
The best way to learn more about blogging and blogging is to read, or at least scan, lots of blogs. One of the wonders of blogging is that you can have every new post from every blog that you want to read delivered to your desktop or to an online location via RSS, so that you can easily read and analyze posts from many blogs online. very little time. Newsgator is a good online choice for reading feeds and also has a version that integrates with Outlook. I use a free online service called Bloglines. http://www.bloglines.com
Subscriber Center
You should make it easy for your blog visitors to subscribe to your blog’s RSS feed, so that they can read your blog in their preferred feed reader. The best way to do this is to go to FeedBurner and burn your own RSS feed and use the tools they provide to set up automatic subscription links so that people who want to use Bloglines, Google Reader, MyYahoo or Pluck, for example, can click on a button to subscribe. Tech types can figure this out without the buttons, but why not make it easy for everyone.
Email subscription option
A lot of people will never get the full feed, but everyone gets an email. Create an option for people to subscribe by giving you their email address – they will simply receive your blog posts as an email. FeedBurner offers this service free of charge. FeedBlitz is another option or, if you already have an autoresponder email list service, they can offer that service. AWeber offers this and helps me integrate these blog email subscribers into my other mailing lists.
Blog and RSS directories
There are hundreds of blogs and RSS directories and being listed in more than one can be a good thing. I use software called RSS Submit, but you can also check Robin Goode’s frequently updated list and submit your blog and feed manually.
Tip: subscribe to the RSS feed it offers and you will be notified when new directories are added.
Ping service
Ping is a term used to notify various blogs and RSS directories when you have posted new content. Again, FeedBurner offers this as an automatic option called PingShot and you need to enable it. PingGoat and Ping O Matic are other options, but they require you to visit and update your folder every time you post new content.
Bookmark manager
As you surf the web or jump from blog to blog, you may find sites that you want to point out to your readers. Online bookmark managers allow you to bookmark and categorize web and blog pages as you collect them and are a great tool for managing anything you find on the web. I am using del.icio.us but BlinkList also does a good job. http://del.icio.us
Blog Statistics
I like to follow a few key metrics in real time because they show what other blogs might be referring you to or posting to your blog. A lot of people just like to follow this stuff for fun and frequently visit sites like Technorati. I like to follow him for networking opportunities. I use a tool called MyBlogLog because it allows me to see where the traffic is coming from, but also to track the links my blog visitors click on. It’s amazing how this data can help you write more effectively. (MyBlogLog also ranks your links so visitors can see which links on your site are the most popular.)
Desktop publication
With most blogging software, you have to go online and publish using a set of tools provided by blogging software. Many bloggers like to user a desktop application for creating and submitting their articles, as it gives them additional tools and allows them to more easily integrate content and files on their computer. http://w.blogger.com
Repost your feed titles
The ability to repost your blog posts on other web pages, sites you own, or strategic partner sites is a great way to expose people to your blog post. Once again we turn to FeedBurner for an easy way to repost your blog post on any webpage you want with something they call BuzzBoost