Jenny McCarthy Blogs On Oprah
Filed under: Archives, At Home, At Work, Blogging, Food Items, For Women, Helping Others, Parenting, Weight Issues, decluttering
On Monday, May 4, 2009, Jenny McCarthy will begin blogging on Oprah.com. Jenny is calling it her “give it up before summer” blog.
She’ll be blogging about how to give up such things as sugar and/or chocolate. If you have anything you want to give up, you can sign into the blog, join in the conversation and share with Jenny McCarthy what it is you’re struggling with.
Like Jenny, is it chocolate? Is it gossiping? Or how about white foods or caffeine?
It’s easy. Just log into Oprah.com. Look for the link to Jenny McCarthy’s blog and leave a comment.
It sounds like a fun endeavor. We all get to weigh in and have our say and read what others are saying, too.
For more information on Jenny McCarthy and her crusade on autism, check out Children With Autism – Help For Parents
Or, you can find some of Jenny McCarthy’s books here:
- Healing and Preventing Autism: A Complete Guide
- Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth about Pregnancy and Childbirth
- Louder Than Words: A Mother’s Journey in Healing Autism
- Mother Warriors: A Nation of Parents Healing Autism Against All Odds
According to Oprah.com it appears Jenny McCarthy’s blog will last for thirty days. If it’s a hit, maybe Oprah will keep Jenny as a permanent blogger on Oprah.com.
Tags: addicts, blog, Blogging, blogs, caffeine, chocolate, comments, giving up, jenny mccarthy, oprah, oprah.com, sugar, weigh in, white foods10 Blog Traffic Tips
In every bloggers life comes a special day – the day they first launch a new blog. Now unless you went out and purchased someone else’’s blog chances are your blog launched with only one very loyal reader – you. Maybe a few days later you received a few hits when you told your sister, father, girlfriend and best friend about your new blog but that’’s about as far you went when it comes to finding readers.
Here are the top 10 techniques new bloggers can use to find readers. These are tips specifically for new bloggers, those people who have next-to-no audience at the moment and want to get the ball rolling.
It helps if you work on this list from top to bottom as each technique builds on the previous step to help you create momentum. Eventually once you establish enough momentum you gain what is called “traction”, which is a large enough audience base (about 500 readers a day is good) that you no longer have to work too hard on finding new readers. Instead your current loyal readers do the work for you through word of mouth.
Top 10 Tips
10. Write at least five major “pillar” articles. A pillar article is a tutorial style article aimed to teach your audience something. Generally they are longer than 500 words and have lots of very practical tips or advice. This article you are currently reading could be considered a pillar article since it is very practical and a good “how-to” lesson. This style of article has long term appeal, stays current (it isn’t news or time dependent) and offers real value and insight. The more pillars you have on your blog the better.
9. Write one new blog post per day minimum. Not every post has to be a pillar, but you should work on getting those five pillars done at the same time as you keep your blog fresh with a daily news or short article style post. The important thing here is to demonstrate to first time visitors that your blog is updated all the time so they feel that if they come back tomorrow they will likely find something new. This causes them to bookmark your site or subscribe to your blog feed.
You don”t have to produce one post per day all the time but it is important you do when your blog is brand new. Once you get traction you still need to keep the fresh content coming but your loyal audience will be more forgiving if you slow down to a few per week instead. The first few months are critical so the more content you can produce at this time the better.
8. Use a proper domain name. If you are serious about blogging be serious about what you call your blog. In order for people to easily spread the word about your blog you need a easily rememberable domain name. People often talk about blogs they like when they are speaking to friends in the real world (that’’s the offline world, you remember that place right?) so you need to make it easy for them to spread the word and pass on your URL. Try and get a .com if you can and focus on small easy to remember domains rather than worry about having the correct keywords (of course if you can get great keywords and easy to remember then you’ve done a good job!).
7. Start commenting on other blogs. Once you have your pillar articles and your daily fresh smaller articles your blog is ready to be exposed to the world. One of the best ways to find the right type of reader for your blog is to comment on other people’s blogs. You should aim to comment on blogs focused on a similar niche topic to yours since the readers there will be more likely to be interested in your blog.
Most blog commenting systems allow you to have your name/title linked to your blog when you leave a comment. This is how people find your blog. If you are a prolific commentor and always have something valuable to say then people will be interested to read more of your work and hence click through to visit your blog.
6. Trackback and link to other blogs in your blog posts. A trackback is sort of like a blog conversation. When you write a new article to your blog and it links or references another blogger’’s article you can do a trackback to their entry. What this does is leave a truncated summary of your blog post on their blog entry – it’’s sort of like your blog telling someone else’s blog that you wrote an article mentioning them. Trackbacks often appear like comments.
This is a good technique because like leaving comments a trackback leaves a link from another blog back to yours for readers to follow, but it also does something very important – it gets the attention of another blogger. The other blogger will likely come and read your post eager to see what you wrote about them. They may then become a loyal reader of yours or at least monitor you and if you are lucky some time down the road they may do a post linking to your blog bringing in more new readers.
5. Encourage comments on your own blog. One of the most powerful ways to convince someone to become a loyal reader is to show there are other loyal readers already following your work. If they see people commenting on your blog then they infer that your content must be good since you have readers so they should stick around and see what all the fuss is about. To encourage comments you can simply pose a question in a blog post. Be sure to always respond to comments as well so you can keep the conversation going.
4. Submit your latest pillar article to a blog carnival. A blog carnival is a post in a blog that summarizes a collection of articles from many different blogs on a specific topic. The idea is to collect some of the best content on a topic in a given week. Often many other blogs link back to a carnival host and as such the people that have articles featured in the carnival often enjoy a spike in new readers.
To find the right blog carnival for your blog, do a search at blogcarnival.com.
3. Submit your blog to blogtopsites.com. To be honest this tip is not going to bring in a flood of new readers but it’’s so easy to do and only takes five minutes so it’’s worth the effort. Go to Blog Top Sites, find the appropriate category for your blog and submit it. You have to copy and paste a couple of lines of code on to your blog so you can rank and then sit back and watch the traffic come in. You will probably only get 1-10 incoming readers per day with this technique but over time it can build up as you climb the rankings. It all helps!
2. Submit your articles to EzineArticles.com. This is another tip that doesn’t bring in hundreds of new visitors immediately (although it can if you keep doing it) but it’’s worthwhile because you simply leverage what you already have – your pillar articles. Once a week or so take one of your pillar articles and submit it to Ezine Articles. Your article then becomes available to other people who can republish your article on their website or in their newsletter.
How you benefit is through what is called your “Resource Box”. You create your own resource box which is like a signature file where you include one to two sentences and link back to your website (or blog in this case). Anyone who publishes your article has to include your resource box so you get incoming links. If someone with a large newsletter publishes your article you can get a lot of new readers at once.
1. Write more pillar articles. Everything you do above will help you to find blog readers however all of the techniques I’ve listed only work when you have strong pillars in place. Without them if you do everything above you may bring in readers but they won’t stay or bother to come back. Aim for one solid pillar article per week and by the end of the year you will have a database of over 50 fantastic feature articles that will work hard for you to bring in more and more readers.
I hope you enjoyed my list of traffic tips. Everything listed above are techniques I’ve put into place myself for my blogs and have worked for me, however it’’s certainly not a comprehensive list. There are many more things you can do. Finding readers is all about testing to see what works best for you and your audience and I have no doubt if you put your mind to it you will find a balance that works for you.
This article was by Yaro Starak, a professional blogger and my blog mentor. He is the leader of the Blog Mastermind mentoring program designed to teach bloggers how to earn a full time income blogging part time.
To get more information about Blog Mastermind click this link: Click Here!
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What Is A Blog? Can I Have A Blog?
What exactly is a blog? A blog is a web log. What you’re seeing as you read this page, is a blog.
Just a short time ago, I wrote an article on my other blog, or website, about the same issue. I give a short explanation of what a blog is, and the different types of blogs you’ll encounter as you “surf the web”. If you would like to read it, go to Bloggingwithoutablog.com.
Can you have a blog? Absolutely.
Do you like to write?
Do you like to spend time on the computer?
Do you have some extra time in your day when you could sit at your computer and write short articles about issues that affect your life, and how you deal with them? Or, are you an expert in a specific field?
Are you willing to share what you’ve learned with others, for free?
Do you know the basics of computers, but are willing to learn more?
Would you like to make extra money by blogging (writing)?
If you answered yes to these questions, you may be a future blogger.
To “blog” is actually quite simple. The difficulty in blogging comes from issues other than actual “writing”. Blogging has a language of it’s own, and learning that and all that goes with it, is what can be time consuming.
To make a decent living, or even additional income that will amount to something, with blogging, takes tenacity. Most professional bloggers spend 50 or more hours a week on their blogs. Some claim to make six figure incomes, but, most of them have been blogging for many years. As for me, I won’t be quitting my day job, anytime soon. 
Can a new (“newbie”) blogger get recognition, when there’s already over 70 million blogs? I think so. If you’re reading this, you found me, and this blog was “born” on March 29, 2007.
With that being said, if you’re interested in blogging, a great website to get started at is a favorite of mine: Problogger.net. You can also check out my other blog at Bloggingwithoutablog.com. where I’ve been documenting what I’ve learned since I started blogging.
If you get a blog started, drop me a comment, and I’ll visit your site. We all love lots of visitors, i.e. high traffic numbers.
Tags: blog, blogsNew Look & How To Navigate My Blog
I’ve been wanting to find a new “theme” for my blog for sometime now, and I finally found one that I like. What you’re looking at is a gorgeous picture of Denali (Mt. McKinley, Alaska). Isn’t it pretty? (See the credits at the bottom of the page)
To navigate my site is pretty easy. At the top of the page, in small black print, you’ll see, “Home”, “Articles”, “About”……By clicking on any of the words, it will take you to the respective pages. Under “Articles”, all of the posts (articles) I’ve published, are listed under the “month” in which I wrote the article. You can toggle between the captions to find previous articles. When you find an article of interest, just click on it, and the link will take you to that article.
On the right side of my blog (the sidebar) is a place you can click for an RSS feed, and a search box from where you can search my site. Below that is “Categories”, which lists the respective category for each of my articles. All of my article are listed again in “Archives” but in a different format.
Under “Categories” you’ll also find my “Gotta Have It” section, where I include items which are favorites of mine. I will update this page as I find more “gotta haves”.
I also have a category named “Sidebar Shopping Sites”, which is where you can shop online. This page will be updated periodically.
Below the “Category” section is the “Archive” section. This again, lists my articles by the month they were published.
You will also find a “Blogroll” section, which lists people, or websites, I credit for my being able to blog so easily.
The Meta section is an Administrative section
And lastly, is the “Recent Posts” section, which lists my last 15 articles.
Note: If you want to return to my “home page”, just click on “Observationmountain.com” title, or on the “Home” link.
Enjoy! 
Related Posts (Articles) From The Past – New Feature
Today I’ve added a new feature to my site. It’s called “Related Posts From The Past”. It can be found of the bottom of each individual article, below the “comment” area. It will give you links to related (posts) articles to click on, which are similar to the one you’re currently reading. This will also help you to navigate my site a little easier.
In my other blog, Bloggingwithoutablog.com, I write about how I’m learning to create my blog sites. This new feature was something I recently found, which I absolutely love, as it’s a real time saver for me. In the world of blogging, it’s what’s called a “plugin”. This one is written by a very talented man, by the name of Mark Ghosh.
As my blogs grow, it may become more difficult for my readers to navigate my sites, so I’m adding whatever “plugins” I find, in order to expedite travel within my blogs.
I hope you enjoy the new “Related Posts From the Past” feature.
If you have any problems navigating my site, just drop me a comment, and I’ll work on correcting the problem.
Thanks for visiting!
Tags: blog, blogsNew Feature Added To My Site
Yesterday I added a new feature to this site. It’s a new “page” named “Articles”. You can find it in the left sidebar of this page, listed under “Pages”.
My “Articles” page will list all of the things I have written about, in one spot. If you want to read one or more of the articles I’ve written, just go to the “Articles” page, click on the article, and, there it is. How sweet is that?
I’ve also added an “Articles” page to my other blog, Bloggingwithoutablog.com. That’s my blog that developed while I was researching, how to set up a blog. It takes you through my learning process, gives tips to other novice bloggers, as well as “what not to do”, i.e. learn from my mistakes. As I’ve mentioned earlier, this has been a real learning process for me, but one I’m continuing to enjoy.
All of my articles will also continue to be listed in the “Archives” section, however, I think you’ll find the “Articles” page much easier to navigate.
Happy Reading!
Tags: blogNew Look – Same Great Advice
I never can leave well enough alone. Earlier today I was trying to make some adjustments on my blog “template” or “theme”. Being new to all of this, I don’t know what I did, but I messed it up pretty good.
Being a person who likes to redecorate, rearrange, and redo things, I decided to also change the theme (or the look) of my blog. I’ll try this for awhile, see how it works out; and also see how all of my loyal readers respond.
If you have a comment, either way, about the new look of my blog, let me know. I’ll take all comments into consideration.
Tags: blogSupport A New Entrepreneur – Bellanova’s Coffee
Today I’m showing my support for a new entrepreneur – Bellanova’s Coffee. Here’s the story behind my connection to them.
Years ago, I met two young boys, who were the sons of my Japanese friends. When I met them, they were about 6 and 8 years old. Over the years, I watched them grow and become responsible adults. They now both have families of their own and are leading lives that would make their parents proud. (Sadly, both of their parents have passed away).
The oldest boy recently started a coffee business and named it Bellanova’s Coffee. It specializes in organically grown beans that are roasted in small batches to ensure consistant quality. They then blend the beans to create unique, full flavored coffees. They believe in buying their beans from growers who have the same belief system as them, thus creating a circle of support.
If freshly roasted coffee beans is on your list, (it’s also available in your favorite grind), check out their website at www.bellanovascoffee.com, and show your support for a new entrepreneur.
If you have a blog, and know a new entrepreneur, add their name to your blog, and help them get some recognition. I’m sure they’ll appreciate it.
Tags: blogWhy This Blog Shows Ads
If you have found my blog, you will see ads on each side, and some mixed in with the text. As a new blogger I have researched a lot about blogging, and continue to research as I learn. To blog, is not a free service. It costs money to register a domain name, to have a web host, and time (which is money) out of my day to micro manage my blog, and to write posts.
By placing ads, some advertisers give small commissions if a reader “clicks” on their ads, however, other advertisers don’t pay you, unless the reader makes a purchase using the link that is on the blog website.
Will I get “rich” by using these ads? The verdict is still out on that. My goal is to make enough to pay for my overhead, and reimburse me for the time I spend writing, and sharing information which I hope is of value to others.
Blogs are ranked by the amount of traffic they receive. With my blog being so new, my “traffic numbers” are pretty low. If you are a regular visitor, thank you. By having others “link” to my blog, also helps my blog rating.
With that being said, if you enjoy my blog, create a link to it, and/or share it with friends. If you have a blog that is similar to mine and would like to share links, let me know. As time goes by, I’ll keep you posted on my progress.
See you in blogoshpere.
Tags: blog, blogs“The Secret”, and How It Inspired Me
My inspiration for blogging came from the book, “The Secret”. I was watching Oprah one day and she had the author of “The Secret” on, plus a panel of other guests. I was curious about the book, so I went out and bought it. While reading “The Secret”, I had a “light bulb” moment and was inspired to start blogging. A few months prior to that, I didn’t even know what a blog was.
I’m not quite sure where this journey will take me, but I do agree with some of the information that’s written in “The Secret”. It does say that when a idea comes, to follow it; so that is what I am doing.
I have since gotten the DVD, The Secret (Extended Edition), and have watched that too.
My biggest concern was how “The Secret”related to what is written in the Bible, so I have been comparing it to one of the books I ready daily, “Daily Readings from Your Best Life Now: 90 Devotions for Living at Your Full Potential, by Joel Osteen. I find it rather ironic, as there is a real parallel between the two books.
My observation of this is that I have been on the right path. It pays to stay optimistic, even when things aren’t going the way I had hoped, because something better is just around the corner.
Tags: blog, oprahLife Saving Tips
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