Diana Soloman VA http://www.myvadiana.com A Virtual Assistant is a Virtual Partner! Thu, 30 May 2013 19:03:10 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 The Benefits of a Blog: What You Could Be Missing http://www.myvadiana.com/2013/05/30/the-benefits-of-a-blog-what-you-could-be-missing/ http://www.myvadiana.com/2013/05/30/the-benefits-of-a-blog-what-you-could-be-missing/#comments Thu, 30 May 2013 19:03:10 +0000 admin http://www.myvadiana.com/?p=1068 GUEST POST: by Ashley R. Cummings

woman writing

Some people may claim that blogging is an outdated or irrelevant practice; however, this is simply not the case. Yes, blogging has been around for longer than Facebook and Twitter have been, but this doesn’t mean that blogging is outdated or not useful anymore. Maintaining a well-written, informational and entertaining blog is still one of the very best ways to increase organic traffic and search engine rankings for your site. Additionally, maintaining a blog that is targeted to your niche audience will help you become not only an expert in your field, but a trustworthy source of fresh and useful information for online readers as well. Here’s an example of what a niche blog might look like: Assume for a moment that you’re a mechanic and you own your own car repair shop. Your blog could address topics such as vehicle upkeep, ways to get better gas mileage, warning signs that your car needs a checkup and/or simple tutorials on how to change a flat tire or change the oil in your car. The more you blog about helpful and interesting topics, the more rapidly you’ll gain recognition and trust with your online audience. Still unsure? Here are some of the additional benefits of a blog.

Blogging Can Help Increase Online Rankings

One of the most exciting benefits of maintaining a blog includes increased rankings with major search engines such as Google, Yahoo! and Bing. This sounds great, right? However, you might be curious as to how blogging can increase search engine rankings. It’s essential to know a little bit about how search engine optimization (SEO) works in order to understand how blogging can increase your organic rankings. Major search engines are constantly looking for websites that frequently upload fresh content; uploading fresh content on a regular basis signals to major search engines that your site is an expert in its field, and will thus rank it higher. On the flip side, a website that has stagnant and unchanging content will usually be ranked lower by major search engines. Here’s how it happens: When a search engine receives a search query for a particular keyword (such as “dentists Salt Lake City” or “fuel efficient cars” etc. ), its immediate goal is to deliver the most useful and relevant results possible. Part of how a search engine decides which websites are relevant and which ones are not is by scanning through the site for fresh content. If a website doesn’t frequently upload new content (such as through a blog), the search engine will view this in a negative light. As a consequence, the site may not be ranked as high as it could be, despite how pertinent it may be to the search query.

Blogging Makes You an Industry Expert

In addition to increasing your site’s rankings, blogging on a regular basis will mold your business into an industry expert. This is particularly attractive to both current clients and potential clients; as an industry expert, people will be more willing to trust you and thus less hesitant to spend money on your products or services. These are just a few of the benefits of a blog; if you haven’t already started blogging, now is the perfect time to get started!

 

GUEST AUTHOR:

Ashley R. Cummings

Ashley recently graduated with her Master of Arts from Brigham Young University, and now works as a content writer at OrangeSoda. When she is not clacking away at the keyboard, you can find her tearing up the ski slopes, writing poetry, and traveling to and from Russia. And, no, she is not a spy (so far as we know).
]]> http://www.myvadiana.com/2013/05/30/the-benefits-of-a-blog-what-you-could-be-missing/feed/ 0 How to get the best from Facebook? Mashable has a helpful guide http://www.myvadiana.com/2013/05/15/how-to-get-the-best-from-facebook-mashable-has-a-helpful-guide/ http://www.myvadiana.com/2013/05/15/how-to-get-the-best-from-facebook-mashable-has-a-helpful-guide/#comments Wed, 15 May 2013 13:43:20 +0000 admin http://www.myvadiana.com/?p=1029 Clients often want to know how to make heads or tails of Facebook, with all of its changes, and weird little eccentricities. I do not find their support or help sections all that user-friendly. I often conduct “Facebook 101″ and “201″ with clients on the phone, but for your own self-help, I do suggest you take a look at Mashable’s guides to Facebook. Check it out!

Mashable’s Facebook guides and tutorials

“Facebook is the world’s leading social network, with over 300 million users and more than 900 employees. But how do you get the most out of it? To answer this question and more, Mashable has created The Facebook Guide Book, a complete collection of resources to help you master Facebook.” - Pete Cashmore, Mashable

facebook icon

 

 

 

 

 

]]> http://www.myvadiana.com/2013/05/15/how-to-get-the-best-from-facebook-mashable-has-a-helpful-guide/feed/ 0 So you want to write a book? A few easy tips to get you started http://www.myvadiana.com/2013/05/08/so-you-want-to-write-a-book-a-few-easy-tips-to-get-you-started/ http://www.myvadiana.com/2013/05/08/so-you-want-to-write-a-book-a-few-easy-tips-to-get-you-started/#comments Wed, 08 May 2013 21:12:09 +0000 admin http://www.myvadiana.com/?p=1000 So, you have thought about writing a book, maybe your whole life. You have great ideas, you have always been told you write well. Or, you are a consultant or coach and you know that a book will be the ultimate calling card, the ultimate proof that you are the expert in the field! But you can’t seem to start or feel totally overwhelmed.

 

Tip Number 1: Don’t write the whole book from page one.

That big expanse of white page or computer screen. Off-putting, isn’t it?  Once you have your TOC (table of contents) roughly worked out, start jotting notes for each chapter. Then fill a bit in here or there. Build it up less painfully that way. Or start a single Word doc with the section that seems easiest or about which you know the most, or are the most passionate. Write it in bits, on separate docs, if that is easier, and piece it all together later like a jig-saw puzzle!

 

Tip Number 2:  Use a cork board planner, with postcards and push pins.

Sound old-fashioned? Maybe, but it sure works. This is how you handle the jig-saw puzzle you are creating.  Put ideas on postcards, and stick onto the cork. You can move them around, see where you are, and this works very very well for double checking when and if you have written about something. You know how you move something around and then talk as if you have already explained it? This is very tough in the computer because you just can't see it all at once. This system solves that.

For the first book I wrote I used the kitchen table, with cards spread out all over it... i wouldn't let anyone move anything and we couldn't use the table for a month! Or at least until my husband hauled me off to Home Depot to buy cork board and a door which we glued the cork to.

It is even easier now - you can buy extremely light weight silver board, which takes the pins of you push pins really easily. The most recent one I bought was about $15, weighed ounces, not pounds, and was called Dow Tuff-R insulation. You can carry the board around, put it up against the wall, hide it behind furniture or under the bed, and be able to eat dinner on your kitchen table!