Blogging Networks - Miniseries Part I

I have been hearing a lot about blogging networks since I have started blogging. Recently, I Googled each aspect of it and thought it is quite a powerful medium and is potentially the best way to give you motivation, tools ad readers for your blog.

In this miniseries I plan to discuss each aspect of blogging networks. This is a tentative breakup of this series:

• What is a blogging network?
• A list of blogging networks out there
• Advantages of a blogging network.
• Disadvantages of a blogging network.
• How to be a part of blogging networks?

What is a Blogging Network?

A blogging network is a group of bloggers working to achieve a common goal with there combined efforts.

Basically put, a blogging network is a community of bloggers that are loosely connected by theme, by ownership, by language or by any other factors.

Some networks actively organize topics, paying bloggers for providing fresh content. Others are groups of professional writers who band together for promotional purposes

If you are an active blogger and reader in the blogosphere, a blogging network gives you the opportunity to make friends for life who share the same motivation and goals as you do. The pros and cons of a network will be dealt in details later in the series. This is just an introduction.

List of Blogging Networks

Here is a list of blogging networks compiled by The Blog Herald. (list of blogging networks in alphabetical order)

451press

About Weblogs

Aratso

Blog Carnival

Bloggy Network

Blog Logic

Blogo
Italian langauge blog network

Blogpire Productions

Breaking News Blog Network

b5media

CommunicaGroup
Italian language blogging network

Corante

Creative Weblogging

Daily Pixel
Canadian blog network

Dutch Cowboys
Dutch blog network

Duct Tape Marketing
line ball on meeting the guidelines, but each writer has a seperate sub-domain and heading so it fits….just.

Gawker Media

Goblog Media
Our first Indonesian language blog on the list

iFroggy

Ist network

Mink Media
UK blog network

Mazoo
Our first entry to the list of a Russian language blogging network

Metroblogging

Most Valuable Network

NinerNiner

The Podcast Network

SBNation

Seeking Alpha
Investing and financial blogs

Shiny Media
UK Blog Network

Social Media Group

Space42
German language blog network

Spreeblick
German language blog network

Weblog Empire

Weblogs Inc.,
The No.1 blog network from Jason Calacanis

Weblogssl
Spanish Language blog network

Writers Write

How to blog when you are disturbed

Recently, I have experienced immense mental trauma due to some personal anxieties. It is extremely difficult to concentrate and blog in such situations. If blogging is more than a hobby to you, you will certainly face the same situation, if you haven't faced it already.

Unfortunately, readers of a blog don't forgive the bloggers for inconsistency, whatever the reason might be. They will probably unsubscribe from your feed and will never come back. So, I decided to blog about the things that might help us blog through these tough times.

How to blog when depressed?

• Motivation from idols

  
  

This is something I did all this time. I have always found that the top bloggers that inspire me, have a tremendous posting frequency irrespective of the day. Have a look at the statistics on the left.

I am certain that these people go through bad phases as much as we do. But still they never give up blogging. I really admire the professionalism they bring to the table.

I asked my Bmom Liz about this. As usual, she helped me out. This is what she told me to do:

When I'm down I try get away from my computer, I go looking for things that we're made by people -- trees and sky and the lake and I look and I reflect until I don't have any words. I let the space fill me up until I can breathe again.

When I can breathe, then I think about what I will write

That's how I wrote this.

• Motivation from with in

You will only get to half the post and again crawl back into depression, if you aren't self motivated. You must force yourself to think why you started blogging in the first place. For me it is the traffic and readers' comments that keeps me going.

• Know what is at stake?

To cope up with the situation you will need to be a little strict with yourself, think about what you will lose if you dint write the post. Some of the things at stake are reputation, reader count, money count, blog credibility etc.

• How will it be good?

Show yourself the brighter side, the result, if you do make the post. This is another psychology which will give you a positive frame of mind, to make the post. Also, you will be able to put in a 100% since you will be thinking about the good which will come out.

• Watch a cartoon/anime

This is a personal tip which will be different for each one of us. Basically, you need to watch something that takes you to another world. I get a similar experience when I read Harry Potter in one sitting.

• Taste the money

Everybody is motivated by money. Some more some less. It works wonders for me. I go to a forum, people generally show off there earnings when they have had a good day. This invokes a competitive feel and shows you that it is possible for you to get there.

• Credibility is Blogging Money!!

If you don't care about any of the points above. This is the point you just cant ignore. The years or months of hard work that you have put in your blog can all go to waste in a single day.

The wealth you have earned is not Google Pagerank or Adsense Dollars, but it is the role you have assumed in the blogosphere. If you want credibility you have to work through the tough times, without losing readers.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

101 Ways to Create Original Blog Posts - Part 4

Read the 101 Ways to Create original blog posts:

Tips 1-10
Tips 11-20
Tips 21-30
Thanks to all of you for your valuable contributions and you can still contribute to this project after reading the rules.

101 Ways to Create Original blog posts Part 4:

31. I try to queue my posts which helps me create shorter, more frequent posts. If I know I'm only going to have one free night to play on the computer, I'll queue up several posts to publish in the future. My sister once told me ... By Michelle

32.I like sharing my projects. I think that just in itself promotes some originality in my posts. And certainly running in a pretty cool circle of bloggers provides me.. By Michelle

33. I have a cat named Atticus. He alone, is foder for many, many posts. When I first began my blog, he was usually my topic. He's funny, furry, likes to climb trees, and... By Michelle

34.Meditate daily.

As I shared in My Daily Habits for Success, I meditate daily. Among other things, I have found it to be very helpful for “tuning in” to my Higher Self, especially for... By Raymond.

35 .Ask my Higher Self.

Before an article (and after meditating), I try to use the power of a “beginner’s mind,” clear my thinking, and ... By Raymond.

36. Invoke an Emotional Response - This approach takes practice, and quite frankly, it takes emotion to pull it off well. To elicit an emotional response for a reader ... By Wendy

37. Reel ‘Em in Right Away - You must give the reader a reason to continue reading within the first paragraph or two (at the most). There is too much ... By Wendy

38. Industry Happenings-My job provides me with an exclusive view into the happenings of the scrapbook industry-when something tugs at me I share it... By Wendysmedley

39. Connections-I like to highlight other people and their accomplishments.
By Wendysmedley

40.I often write about current projects - whether that’s personal scrapbooking projects, magazine articles recently assigned/finished/published, or projects for my scrapbook marketing clients. By Angie.