Tools of a Blogosphere Junkie

Thursday Thirteen Edition #73 12/28/2006
Rashenbo's Edition #4

I hope you all had a lovely Holiday. It is that time once again for the Thursday Thirteen. I don't know about you... but I love blogging and I love the blogosphere. I know that one of the ways to increase my own traffic and to better learn the tricks of the blogosphere is to get involved. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your outlook) there are about a BAZILLION different tools that bloggers can use for SSP (also known as Shameless Self Promotion). So, I thought I'd share with you 13 goodies and tips out of the blogging basket.

Getting out in the blogosphere can help you generate traffic. That traffic may turn into repeat visitors or it may just boost the quality of your traffic and impact your blog advertising or money making.

1. Technorati. By now, you'd think just about every blogger would know Technorati and would have signed up... even if they ignore the ranking. However, there are many bloggers that don't use it. I do. I find it has valuable information and I use it frequently for searching information and it provides me another way to view the traffic to my site and I've certainly found links to me through Technorati that I wouldn't have found otherwise. Update: Scribbit has an excellent post on Technorati, if you've got questions about it - it's a good read.

2.
Ok, this is just for fun... It's amazing the thought that has gone into the development of the blog stock market. I admit... I just signed up to it but it's amazing how many blogs are on here and how involved the blog discussions can be! I can't wait to really check it out.

3. Blog Surfing Exchangers. I've seen a few of these and I've tried Blogexplosion and it seemed ok. I have also recently been checking out
These may require more time or devotion than you want to give. Some people have said that these tools can be very helpful to increase traffic.

4. Directories can be very handy, like top 100 authors and such. I've seen some directories that are total junk. So it helps to take a look at the directory. I found a new one recently that I thought looked interesting.

5. Get in on new action... When you hear of something "new" that's coming into the web. You may want to go ahead and investigate a little further. Sometimes getting in early on a new program helps provide a burst of traffic (or helps increase revenue). I found two "new" items today that I'm investigating.

and then there is this one... which per this article says it might be a good thing to keep an eye on. It's something that supposedly will help you generate funds.



6. Forums, clubs and groups. There is no doubt that being involved with individuals that share your own interest can help build your traffic. If you aren't already doing it - look for forums or areas on the net where you can chat with other people who share your interest. Use the signature field to create a link to your blog... I'm surprised people don't do this more. It can really help you network and make new friends (and create traffic)!

7. Problogger and blogging expert sites - Use the knowledge and experience of others. I've learned so much from reading up on sites like problogger. You can also usually find some good links to other valuable tools that will help enhance your blog or just get you more involved in the blogosphere.

8. MyBlogLog and online communities are also a handy little tool. I like mybloglog and I really love seeing that widget that shows who has recently visited your blog. I'm also a regular on BlogHer - I have found some great bloggers over there.

9. Comment Magic - making comments can be one of the best traffic generating tips you can follow. Andrew Wee has a good article that discusses this.

10. Link Love - Find blogs that you like and have content that interests you... reference it with a link in a post of your own. Linking to other people - on your sidebar or in your content increases your chances of those reciprocal links.

11. I think this one is another "directory" type... but the name was catchy and I found myself signing up for it anyway!

12. Feed!!! If you don't have a feed, get one. Go to feedburner or wherever... and then get to pinging! :) Having a blog feed can provide you with an easy way to reach repeat readers and hit the search engines for better content placement.

13. What are some blog tools you like to use? Is it a community? Is it a link exchange? Have you ever blogged for a "carnivale"? I've been interested in learning more about those.

* Disclaimer: I am currently enjoying the potent powers of Nyquil. If something in the list doesn't make sense... I'm not surprised. I think I just saw little Bunny Foo Foo bouncing by and I have a little green martian whispering in my ear. He's so naughty!