Why the Future of Blogging Might Not Be In English

I spent two years teaching International students English at my University, and I truthfully feel that they taught me more in those two years than I taught them (although they will tell you, in English, this is not true). Although what I learned was not quite as clear cut as a language, I learned a lot about different countries and their Internet habits. During my time at The English Language Institute, I taught students from Japan, Korea, China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, France, Venezuela, Columbia, and Mexico. I discovered that in most of these countries, surfing the Internet in their native language was not quite as overwhelming as it is in English. They informed me that there is less content produced in their own languages, and this made sense. Now that I am a blogger, I cannot help but remember these students and ask myself: Should I be writing my content for languages other than English? According to the Internet World Stats, English is the most used language on the Internet at 536.6 million users (Chinese comes in second with 444.9 million users). In this sense, we are lucky that we speak English fluently (as my students consistently reminded me) because we are able to write for a larger audience. However, there is no denying that reading something in your own language is preferred (ask anyone who is bilingual). Consider a few of the reasons translating your blog into other languages is worth your time. Why English Only is So Last Year Many business professionals are hesitant to go the "foreign language" route because it sounds like a lot of document management work (and managing documents in a foreign language is no easy feat). English is very obviously one of the most popular languages spoken around the world; however what businesses do not realize is that many of these English speakers speak English as a second language. Therefore, there are many benefits you should be factoring in when deciding whether or not to translate your blog into different languages: You will have more eyes reading your content. If you have something important you have to say (and if you're blogging you probably should…), you want to say it to as many people as possible. You will be able to rank higher on search engines and local search engines in other languages because there is less competition. Your blog will have new perspectives and opinions to discuss. If the comment is posted in another language, you can translate the comments quickly using websites such as Google Translate. However, you may find that those who find your blog in another language will comment in English. Duplicate content doesn't count across languages. Translating blogs into different languages is still somewhat of a hidden secret. The benefits are great, but they are still for the most part untapped. The best part: creating the translation is simple. How to Go from Awesome to ehrfürchtige The easiest way to get started is by installing a WordPress plugin. There are several plugins to choose from; all of which will automatically translate your blog into a different language. Most plugins offer several languages, so all a visitor has to do is click on one of the languages and BAM!—your blog is in Norwegian. Although the translations are never absolutely perfect, the benefits will still remain consistent. Consider the two most popular plugins to make it happen: Google Translate—This is by far the most popular route for bloggers, and is considered by most to be the quickest and cheapest. You can download Google Translate here, and then all you have to do is copy the code you are given onto your blog. Once you're all set-up, Google will take care of the translating. Global Translator—This service creates sub-directories for all of your translated content, so you will have a lot of extra pages on your blog. This is recommended for bloggers who expect their primary audience to be speaking something other than English. You can download it here. Both of these services are easy to setup and all are completely free. Although the idea of translation wasn't too big in 2011, I expect it to be much more popular in the near future. And with those thoughts I say to you buenas noches, ciao, 晚安, and au revoir. Photo Credit: shutterstock.com Get backlinks to your Blog! If you are looking to promote your blog and get high quality backlinks from a PR6 2003 domain then Blogsearchengine.com is for you. For as little as $14.99 you can submit your blog and have a review written and published there with a backlink to your website or blog, we accept all niche!

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Should I Write for Myself or For Someone Else?

One of the questions which many online copywriters ask themselves is whether they should keep on writing for other people's sites and get paid for it or start to write on their own sites which they could make money from. It isn't a question which can be answered with a quick and simple "yes" or "no", so here are some of the points to consider. Easy Money? If you are a good, fast writer then you can make a reasonable living from writing for other people. You might never become a millionaire from it but if you want a steady, fairly predictable wage then you get it this way. With your own site things aren't quite so clear cut, as your earnings could vary greatly from nothing at all to a lot of money. If you like the idea of striking it rich with a huge income then you might like to give your site a go, but it you are happy with safe and steady then copywriting as a job is probably good enough. No Boss Working from home as a freelance writer is one of the most relaxed types of job you could do. It is certainly nothing like being stuck in a stuffy office with a grumpy boss and a coffee machine that never blooming works (do I still sound bitter?) but can it be bettered? Certainly, online employers tend to be of the laid back variety but if you really want to go it alone then this is your chance. Of course, working without a boss means that you get more responsibility and can't concentrate just on writing. Now you'll need to find clients, handle the admin and maybe even hire your own staff. Lots of Work Freelance copywriters often complain that their job is all about feast or famine. No problem on that score if you run your own site; there will be a feast of work to do all the time. This is actually the main reason why people don't seem to be so keen on what looks like the perfect compromise of doing both things at the same time. Running your own site is a full time job which simply won't leave you the time to work for someone else as well.  Workaholics might like to give it a try but anyone who enjoys sleeping occasionally would be well advised to avoid this compromise. Any Subject At All? Maybe you think that working on a solo basis means that you can write about anything under the sun. It's a nice thought but not really true in most cases. Your site will be like any other ones out there and will be situated in a niche which you have to stick to. If you want to attract visitors and make money from it then you are going to have to concentrate an awful lot on your keywords. In fact, strange as it may seem, you would probably get more variety working as an employee. Most writers juggle a few jobs at once, and switching between these gives them a nice bit of variety in the subjects they write about. If you find something you are truly passionate about then maybe you could make it work on your own site but in my experience any subject becomes a little less exciting after the 50th article. Freedom One of the best things about working as an internet copywriter is the concept of being free. You can work in your slippers, have your breakfast at 5pm and go to bed at 6pm if you want. Your monthly rail pass can turn yellow and curl up and your tie can disappear down the back of the wardrobe. Is this freedom the same whether you work for yourself or not? I reckon that it is extremely similar. You might be very unlucky and get a boss who wants you to stick to strict deadlines or who expects you to be on Skype on the hour every hour but this is unlikely. In fact, in my experience writing for someone isn't that far removed from writing for myself. Once I hunker down and start typing I forget about who ordered the article and just start writing it. Writing is a funny old business and writers will often find themselves asking this question. There is an seo copywriting team that lets you write for yourself as well as clients- Life can be perfect. Get backlinks to your Blog! If you are looking to promote your blog and get high quality backlinks from a PR6 2003 domain then Blogsearchengine.com is for you. For as little as $14.99 you can submit your blog and have a review written and published there with a backlink to your website or blog, we accept all niche!

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Massive ColorLabs Themes Giveaway. Win 23 Premium WordPress Themes [2 Part Giveaway]

The team at ColorLabs designs some of the nicest looking and most user friendly premium WordPress themes on the market and we are happy to announce that they are giving away 4 of their “All for One” packages to lucky BloggingPro readers. The company’s All for One package normally retails for $69 and provides buyers with 23 premium WordPress themes that range from news and magazine templates to real estate and tech blog templates and everything in between. Along with beautifully looking WordPress templates users are also treated to designs that display perfectly on iOS and Android based Smartphones and tablets, eliminating the need for separate applications for users who are not yet ready to invest time and money into the creation and maintenance of those mobile applications. Among the ColorLab packages offerings is one of my favorite news/magazine WordPress themes known as Arthemia Premium, a template that provides bold colors, an excellent featured content area and easy setup that makes starting your own online magazine a snap. Here’s a small preview of the Arthemia theme: To win this awesome prize package follow the steps below by December 16th at 11:59pm (Central time): 1. Follow the company’s  Twitter account @ColorLabs 2. Like their Facebook page http://facebook.com/colorlabs/ 3. Comment on this page with your Twitter name after you have completed steps one and two. Please Note: The codes we provide to the winner will need to be used between December, 17 2011 until December, 31 2011. Be sure to stay tuned for next Monday’s give away were you can win a $419 blogging package for just $4.19. That’s a 99% discount!!! Get backlinks to your Blog! If you are looking to promote your blog and get high quality backlinks from a PR6 2003 domain then Blogsearchengine.com is for you. For as little as $14.99 you can submit your blog and have a review written and published there with a backlink to your website or blog, we accept all niche!

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Blogging Pro Job Board Highlights (December 5-9)

Are you counting down the days till Christmas? If so, you might want to get a few more jobs to augment your holiday budget. And even if you don’t do Christmas, a little extra cash is always a good thing, yes? Here are the best of the job ads we have for this week. Good luck! Editor for Hungarian Slang Book Speak and write Hungarian? Here is a potentially fun job for you. You do not need to translate, but you do need to be fluent in the language. Oh, and this is not a job if your sensibilities are easily offended! Ad Copywriter Are you into organic stuff and supplements? Natural Organics is looking for an ad copywriter who can take their campaigns to the edge. If you can write copy that stands out, go for this job! Internet Marketing Copywriter/SEO Specialist Copywriting is all about spinning words and putting them together to catch the attention of people and convince them of what you are “selling”. This job requires that ability PLUS SEO knowledge. Part-time Grant Writer Do you have that magic touch that gets people to give you financial assistance when you ask for it? Then this part-time grant writing job might be the thing for you. Freelance Online Guide Writers Like writing about places and destinations? This job is for an online guide for Panama City. You also need to know the AP Style Guide for this job. Get backlinks to your Blog! If you are looking to promote your blog and get high quality backlinks from a PR6 2003 domain then Blogsearchengine.com is for you. For as little as $14.99 you can submit your blog and have a review written and published there with a backlink to your website or blog, we accept all niche!

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Social Metrics Plugin For WordPress. A Simple Dashboard For Your Social Sharing Analytics

The Social Metrics plugin for WordPress has quickly become one of the very first options I add to my new WordPress blogs as they are being built. The plugin in it’s most simple of terms allows me as the administrator on my website to examine which social networks are having the greatest impact on the posts I create. Using Social Metrics is extremely simple, after downloading and simply clicking activate the program can be visited in a section located directly below the “Dashboard” option within the WP-ADMIN area: After clicking on the “Social Metrics” section the main display is then shown. Before choosing any settings the program automatically displays your newest posts first. As you can see from the screenshot below the title for each post is displayed (you can click on the hyperlink to visit each story). Next you’ll find some of the most used buttons on most sites (Twitter, Facebook, Google+,StumbleUpon, Digg and LinkedIn). Next to each type of social sharing button is the number of shares it has received. Unfortunately Reddit is now implemented which is a real shame given the buttons increasing prevalence. Since sharing is pulled each time the Social Metrics plugin is launched you receive a real-time representation of shares on your website. Examine the screenshot: If you happen to realize that you haven’t stumbled an article or you want to add a tweet to the overall account you can simply click each button from inside the social metrics display and it will add a share to that article. For users who may auto-tweet their posts to a website account but often forget to send stories to their own personal accounts this is a great way to mass tweet, like or stumble any article of your choosing. You’ll also notice at the top of the page that there is the option to “Filter by Category” and “Filter by Date.” The Category option lets you choose any category you have setup on your WordPress blog at which point only those posts and shares from that category are shown. The “Filter By Date” option on the other hand provides users the chance to only examine posts based on the month for which they were posted. If you’re attempting to check your overall shares by month this is a great option. You’ll also notice that you can sort by “Posts” or “Pages” which can help determine how well engaged different aspects of your site have become. The main display for Social Metrics offers 20 posts at one time however that number can be lowered or raised through the settings button located below the Dashboard console on the left side of the WP-ADMIN area: Simply change “Number of Posts to Display at a Time” to whatever you want and then choose “Save Changes.” The rest of the features within settings can only be changed if you purchase Social Metrics Pro which at the time of this posting costs $69.90. While the price is steep the added functionality offered is well worth the price, for example using the “Display on Admin Dashboard” allows the last five posts you’ve put up to show when you log into WordPress without needing to launch Social Metrics. The Pro version also allows for Excel and CSV downloading of metrics files and conditional formatting for those files while providing ascending and descending sort functionality. My absolute favorite part of Social Metrics Pro however is the Search Box functionality which as the name suggests allows users to type in search terms via the plugin. For example, if you want to find out how well the term “Apple iPhone 4″ is sharing you can type in that search and examine all posts that mention the iPhone 4. You could then type in “Samsung Galaxy S II” and see how well that device is sharing. Using the search box to determine the competitiveness of one term compared to another is a great way to figure out which topics outperform others and then focus your content in those areas. Overall I give Social Metrics a big thumbs up and I recommend it to anyone who’s serious about tracking their social sharing analytics. Get backlinks to your Blog! If you are looking to promote your blog and get high quality backlinks from a PR6 2003 domain then Blogsearchengine.com is for you. For as little as $14.99 you can submit your blog and have a review written and published there with a backlink to your website or blog, we accept all niche!

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test Get backlinks to your Blog! If you are looking to promote your blog and get high quality backlinks from a PR6 2003 domain then Blogsearchengine.com is for you. For as little as $14.99 you can submit your blog and have a review written and published there with a backlink to your website or blog, we accept all niche!

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How using JQuery could help speed up your blog

The world of blogging has certainly become easier and more approachable for all types of people. No longer do you need to know how to manually code HTML, PHP, or JavaScript in order to create, design, and maintain a blog. But, for some of us, we may want to go further than what the blogging platform, or the available plugins allow. We may need to add more functionality for our users, or to integrate a new function that simply isn’t available yet through those easy to use tools. That’s when we have to be ready to learn some coding and get our hands dirty, plunging into code. Fortunately, even then there are tools to help us. When writing JavaScript, for example, here’s how using JQuery could help you write faster, and speed up your blog. JQuery is a JavaScript library available from the project’s web site, and is designed to simplify your web site. It changes the way you write code, so that it makes more sense, it can be done in less time, and it makes the whole page work more efficiently. To start, all you have to do is download the library, and add the file to the same folder where the rest of your site resides. Then, at the top of your page, you add a reference to that library: Once that’s done, you can start using JQuery code instead of normal JavaScript. There is a learning curve, of course, but once you get familiar with the way JQuery does things, you won’t want to go back. Their site has a lot of tutorials on how to use this language, and the language has quickly become a staple of online use. Some stats show that close to half of all top web sites are now using JQuery to speed up their own pages.The library not only speeds up the development of sites, but also maintenance, since there’s less lines of codes, and it’s easier to find what you’re looking for, should you go back and want to change something. To show you just how much more efficient JQuery is, let’s take a common example of something you may want to do in JavaScript. Here’s the code for reading the value of a cookie using nothing but pure JavaScript: To contrast that, here’s the code when using JQuery: As you can see, the difference is quite drastic. Of course, not every comparison will give you such as huge improvement, but in most cases it will make things easier for you. Overall, using JQuery is a great idea if you’re set on going down into your code and tweaking the blog yourself. It makes things so much easier, and helps the performance of your pages tremendously. Get backlinks to your Blog! If you are looking to promote your blog and get high quality backlinks from a PR6 2003 domain then Blogsearchengine.com is for you. For as little as $14.99 you can submit your blog and have a review written and published there with a backlink to your website or blog, we accept all niche!

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