India’s top online influencers!!
Enough Controversy for this on Twitter :P
Check it out the Top 10 Bloggers from India!
Still Trying to get my name on this list!! :P
Source scribd.com
Showing posts with label bloggers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bloggers. Show all posts
Blogger, Redesigned
As we shared before, our team has been hard at work on a brand new, next generation design for Blogger. After doing a sneak preview at the South by Southwest conference back in March, we received some great feedback from the media:
- Half A Billion Blog Posts Later, Google To Give Blogger A Revamp
- Google’s Blogger Is About to Get an Overhaul
Today, we’re thrilled to announce the public launch of our redesign! But please wait a second before you go check out your Blogger dashboard, because we’re planning a gradual rollout that will start with a limited set of users who visit our new feature testing ground, Blogger in Draft. At the start, only some of you (lucky draws!) can see the new design on Blogger in Draft. Over the course of the next few days and weeks we’ll be ramping up to support all Draft users. There is no sign-up or activation process required from your side; just wait, and you’ll notice your dashboard has changed to the new design when you log in to Blogger in Draft.
Although our team has been hard at work cranking out tons of new features over the last year or so, it’s been a while since our user interface has had a major update so we’re very excited about Blogger’s fresh new look. However, there’s much more to the redesign than shiny new graphics and pages—we’ve essentially rewritten the entire application from scratch, using the latest web technologies that will enable us to make future updates in more agile and flexible ways.
We decided to make the new UI available to our loyal Blogger users as quickly as possible. We realize there might be some ‘rough edges’ (see this page for the known issues) but fear not, we’ll be continually updating and improving the experience until it’s ready to graduate from Blogger in Draft. Our team is also very eager to hear your feedback, so please don’t hesitate to let us know of any bugs or suggestions by clicking on the “Send feedback” link in the navigation bar (or directly on this form).
image n content via : bloggerindraft.blogspot.com/
Blogger Will Delete Old Accounts and Blogs Unless You Upgrade to a Google Account
Blogger was one of Google's first acquisitions yet the process of integrating it with Google's products isn't done yet. Eight years after buying it, Google is finally ending support for legacy accounts in favor of universal Google accounts.
Granted, Blogger used its own accounts system until 2006 and only started migrating users in 2007. Four years later it's still not done, but it's close, Blogger will be dropping support for the old accounts soon.
Not only will the accounts stop working, but the blogs associated with them will be deleted if you don't move over to the new system by June 25.
"For a number of technical and operational reasons, we’ve decided to finally end our support for all legacy accounts and blogs after June 25th, 2011," Blogger announced.
"So if you have a Blogger account and haven’t logged in since 2007, you will lose access to the account and associated content permanently unless you update to the Google Account system before June 25th," it added.
Of course, there aren't going to be that many people that haven't logged in since 2007 and will suddenly feel the urge to. But if still care about your abandoned blog and don't want to see it gone forever, perhaps spending a couple of minutes upgrading your account isn't too much to ask.
Google Accounts provides a very solid system, both in terms of security and performance, the two-step verification process is just one example, not to mention it makes life much easier for Google to have just one system for all of its products. You can find out more about the process here.
Google is facing the same problem on YouTube and has issued a similar warning recently, asking users that haven't done so to link their YouTube accounts with a Google one.
10 Ways to Find Blogs You’ll Love
Blog Directories
First, take a look at these encyclopedic catalogs of blogs. You’ll be able to browse or search by topic, so you’ll find the content and bloggers you’re looking for.
1. Alltop
Alltop is the granddaddy of all blog discovery tools. The site, which was cofounded in 2008 by Silicon Valley person of interest Guy Kawasaki, is known for its tight, topic-based groupings of the creme de la creme of blogs and a handful of other informative sites.
Best of all, you can customize the service with features collectively known as MyAlltop. These features allow you to save blogs (or feeds) you like to a home dashboard, effectively making Alltop a great discovery engineand a functional and well-organized feed reader for low-volume feeds.
2. Technorati
This site is one of the older and larger blog directories on the web. What we like about Technorati’s blog directory is that you can search by keyword for specific posts on a topic or by entire blogs devoted to that topic, which makes the site a great tool for both discovering experts and drilling down on specifics.
3. Blog Catalog
This visually appealing catalog o’ blogs is a modern take on the concept of discovery and curation. The site itself is gorgeous, and it regularly features truly fascinating and esoteric blogs you might never have looked at otherwise. The onsite search leaves something to be desired, but try browsing blogs by topic or plugging into the active BC community instead.
Topic-Based Browsing
If you’d like to get automatically generated feeds from blogs (and the occasional news site) around the web, we’ve got a few recommendations for you. These tools will give you a chance to pick your favorite topics then lean back for a hands-off, enjoyable discovery experience.
4. Guzzle.it
Guzzle.it allows you to create and customize a personal dashboard based on topics you care about. You’ll get some news from mainstream websites, but the service also culls posts from thought-provoking and highly relevant blogs. You can choose to display topics visually, textually, or both — and convenient tooltips allow you to get the gist of a post quickly.
5. YourVersion
YourVersion allows you to see great blog posts (and other content, such as tweets and videos) on your own interests — you can also choose to see blog-only content. The company that makes the web app has also rolled out a nice suite of mobile apps, including offerings for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. The app also comes with a nifty browser extension that makes saving (and organizing) bookmarks as simple as a single click.
Social Discovery
Sometimes our friends (some of whom have the same interests and reading habits as we do) will stumble upon a great new blog before we do ourselves. For those cases, it’s good to have a way to stay abreast of the things our friends are reading and sharing online. Twitter and Facebook are great but noisy. Here are a few tools to help you get the best blogs and posts shared by all your friends in a few quick clicks. (If you’re an iPad user, we also highly recommend checking out Flipboard.)
6. Paper.li
Paper.li makes a web-based newspaper from the most popular links shared across your network of Twitter and Facebook friends. If your friends are sharing blog links, they’ll pop up here, allowing you to discover fresh voices and new feeds. Paper.li also breaks down shared blog posts by topic, such as technology and the arts.
7. PostPost
PostPost is a Facebook-specific aggregator that delivers all the interesting blog posts and other content that your friends have liked or that the Pages you like have posted. It’s billed as “what your friends think you should read,” and it has a highly enjoyable interface, to boot. To see links only (as opposed to videos and images), just click the “Links” tab at the top of the page.
8. Utopic
This app connects with Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to get a smattering of content from around the web. It focuses on the most popular topics from your network of friends. In all likelihood, the links will include quite a few blog posts. You can see trending posts by day, week, month or even the most popular posts from the past 12 hours.
Topics are fairly customizable, and the site’s visual design is busy and gives the user a lot to see and explore.
Blog Search
Finally, there’s good, old-fashioned blog search. Using tools like the ones below might yield topic-specific posts rather than feeds centering around your topic of choice. Nevertheless, blog search isn’t a bad place to start (or finish) your quest to find new reading material and new resources.
9. Best of the Web Blog Search
Best of the Web is a fairly old-school outfit (established in 1994), but it delivers a no-nonsense roster of sites and blogs on a wide variety of topics. Blogs that pop up in search results are designated by a green bullseye logo and green text, so you’ll know when you’re looking at a fresh feed versus a static site. Plus, you won’t get individual posts here — just blogs on the topic you’re searching for.
10. Google Blogs Search
There is little doubt that Google holds something of a monopoly in web search. Its blog search is vast and can be quite useful. Posts are also almost guaranteed to be fresh, and you can see when each post was published before clicking through.
However, some mainstream news sites are also being indexed as “blogs” at the moment. For this and other reasons, Google Advanced Blog Search might be best for deeper dives into highly specific and esoteric post topics.
via mashable.com
CO.CC Custom Domain via blogger
Now you can easily set o.c domain via blogger..how?? do the follow...:)
29 No-Brainer Tips for Quick Blogging Success
Handle The Basics
1. Write Out Your Blog Strategy
Every day 126 million bloggers fight for attention. Most of them will flame out in a few months because they didn’t have a plan for the long haul. Don’t be one of them. Create a strategy that will keep your blog relevant and your creative edge sharp for years to come.
2. Mimic the A-Listers
There is absolutely no reason to re-invent the blogging wheel. Find the person/brand that is crushing it in your niche and mimic them. Take their successful tactics and put your own spin on it. Repeat this over and over for rapid success.
3. Track Your Stats
Some people think it’s cool to ignore their stats. They’re idiots. Your stats are a quick way to see how your readers are using your blog. You’ll get great info on post topics and see what’s not working. Install Google Analytics and get comfortable with the numbers.
4. Join a Mentorship Community
I joined Third Tribe and feel like I’ve hit the lottery. They make me better. They make me smile. They’ve turned me into a “giver”. You need a little bit of this in your life too. You’ll be a better blogger because of it. A-List Blogging Bootcamp and the Problogger community kick butt too J
5. Practice Great Writing
Find killer posts on top blogs and copy them out by hand. That’s right, get a pen and paper and copy out the post word for word. After a few posts, you’ll discover what great writing “feels like”. Most people won’t do this. If you do, I guarantee that you’ll get scary good – fast.
6. Write Your “About” Page in the First Person
Stop that corporate nonsense of talking in the third person. Unless your Mohammad Ali you should be using “I” and “My” in your sentences. Your readers want to connect with a person not an abstraction.
Deliver Irresistible Content
7. Blog A Little More:
Some pretty smart bloggers have seen their traffic jump when they post more. Don’t shoot me for saying this, but blogging just a little more my be what the doctored ordered.
8. Write A Lot More
Chris Brogan recently reminded me that writing a lot doesn’t necessarily mean blogging a lot. Writing is the discipline that you engage in everyday. The more you write the better you become. Some of that writing may turn into blog posts. The point is to write a lot.
9. Start an Email Newsletter
An email list is a marketing asset that will keep giving. Create fabulous content and give it away to people who sign-up. Take care of this list and they will take care of you.
10. Use Attention-Getting Images
People love photos. A great picture livens up your post, helps make a point, and gives your blog a polished feel.
11. Power Up Your Headlines
You’re leaving “attention” on the table if you skimp on your headlines. Get in the practice of brainstorming 2 or 3 for each post. Pick one and use the rest for subheadlines. The web is chock-full of amazing headline advice. Go to school on this and you won’t be sorry.
12. Use Subheadlines
Your readers skim your posts first. They will read more closely if they find something they like. Make it easier for them by dividing your post into easy chunks topped with juicy subheadlines.
13. Record and Transcribe Your Posts
People learn and consume information in different ways. I prefer pictures (in crayon). However I also spend a lot of time in the car where I listen to audio. Consider turning your posts into audio. Or take your podcasts and create posts out of the transcripts. Groovy.
14. Share the (Link) Love
Give. Link to other blogs that have content that compliments your post. This is a fantastic way demonstrate your relevance and usefulness to readers. It’s also a classy thing to do.
15. Mix Up Your Posts
Take a look at your archives…are you writing the same type of post every single week? If so, you might be boring your readers. Take Darren’s advice at Problogger and mix up your posting types to keep your readers hopping. Throw in an opinion post, a link roundup, or a video review.
Finding Inspiration
16. Carry a Moleskin
You never know when a killer post or product idea will bubble to the surface from your subconscious. Record your ideas immediately in your moleskin. Reward yourself with a strawberry McDonald’s milkshake. That’s an order.
17. Find and Follow New Voices Regularly
Your mojo can get stale if you hang out with the same crowd too long. Periodically clean out your Twitter lists and start over. Visit new blogs. Make it a habit to visit sites outside your niche or discipline. Your creativity will soar, I promise.
Take Care of Your Readers
18. Respond to Comments
It’s just polite and the right thing to do. Plus, bloggers who respond to comments tend to get more of them. Go figure. You don’t have to respond to every one-line “Great post” comment but give a shout out to people who invested some time responding.
19. Get a Blogging BFF
Mine is @tips4smo. I read her stuff and say “I gotta get better”. We bounce ideas off each other. Pal up in Tweetchats and such. Get yourself a BFF – no need to be a lone ranger.
20. Be Your Commenters Biggest Fan
Anyone that takes the time to write a substantive comment on your blogs should be treated like royalty. Visit their blog. Comment on their posts. Email them with ideas. Offer to guest post for them. Retweet them religiously. I plan to make this my mantra. How about you?
Getting Noticed
21. Promote Your Posts
Your content deserves an audience. If you took the time to write it then you’ll should promote it. Don’t be shy. People will not just find it. You need to tell people that your post exists. Tweet your post out a few times when it’s posted. Suggest your post to an A-Lister with a audience who might enjoy your perspective. This is how you get big fast.
22. Guest Post (You knew this was coming)
Take your absolute best content and give it to the 800 pound gorilla blog in your niche. You’ll get a boatload of new readers, email subscribers, followers, and fans. It’s a smart strategy. Trust me.
23. Get Comfortable with Twitter
Don’t be luddite. Twitter won’t bite. It won’t turn you into a tweeting zombie. It will (over time) send quality and engaged readers to your blog. Twitter is like sex, if you don’t like it then you probably aren’t doing it right .
24. Join a Tweet Chat or Create One
Tweet Chats are the New Black in social media. These chats gather people with a common interest around a hashtag. At the scheduled time, track the hashtag in Tweetdeck and start tweeting. If you can’t find one you like – create one.
25. Be a Guest Commenter
Take your commenting seriously. Pick a few blogs and comment like your life depended on it. I call this “poor man guest posting”. Do it right and you’ll get noticed and maybe get an invitation to guest post!
26. Link Your Posts Together
The fancy-pants phrase is “interlinking”. As you are writing your post, link to other posts on your blog that provide background or more information. This will encourage readers to dive deep into your blog.
Getting Serious
27. Look the Part
There is absolutely no excuse for putting up with a broken and busted blog design. With the latest themes and frameworks, You can look like a pro in an afternoon for less than $100. If you are serious about doing this blogging thing right then you need to dress the part.
28. Create Something Valuable and Give It Away
If you are running a public blog then you are constantly working to build rapport and trust with your reader. The fastest way to build credibility is by demonstrating your expertise with free content. This can be an eBook, a blog series, or a newsletter.
29. Claim Your Niche
Focus your energy on being the absolute best source of content for your niche. Once you’ve isolated your niche, pour on the content. Don’t let up. You want to become synonymous with relevant and helpful information. In social media, the most dedicated win.
