How to start a blog

How to start a blog by Amber Rolfe Need a way to make your application stand out? Try blogging… Creating your own blog is not only an exciting hobby, it’s also a great way to demonstrate your practical skills, specialist knowledge, and creativity to employers â€" especially if you’re looking for work in the media, design, and digital industries.To help you get-to-grips with building yours, here are our top tips on how to start a blog:  Decide what to blog about Firstly, you need to give your blog a topic.It should be something you enjoy, are knowledgeable about, with plenty of room for discussion.Using your hobbies and life experiences (either personal or professional) as inspiration is a great place to start, with cooking, parenting, marriage, student life, travel, fashion, and sports being popular grounds for content.You could also use the platform to promote products and/or teach useful techniques â€" whether it’s by using a video blog to do a cooking demonstration, or writing a revie w about a new type of makeup.Other examples include things like ‘how to’ guides and top 10 posts; written based on your own experience, industry specialism, or general expertise. For example, marketing professionals may use their blog to teach others about content strategies (which will also add value to job applications).  Identify your USPOK, so you’ve decided on a topic â€" but how do you make your blog stand out from the crowd?Unless it’s particularly obscure (see: ponies wearing sweaters), you’re unlikely to be the first person to blog about your chosen subject. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to make your blog unique.To make sure you’re not blending into thousands of identical blogs, always research your competition.Not only will this allow you to gain valuable insights on what techniques and features the most successful blogs are using, it’ll also help you identify your USP.For example, if similar blogs base their graphics on prebuilt themes, conside r putting your own spin on it by hand drawing your own imagery (or, if you know how, building your own site from scratch).Posting more regularly, approaching a brand new topic (e.g. up-and-coming technology), and offering a unique sense of humour or tone to your blog are also great ways to stand out.  Choose a domain name and platform Once you’re sure of what you’re going to post about, it’s time to come up with a domain name.Your blog title should be unique but relevant, making it easy for readers to find on search engines, and also understand what it’s about before clicking. Keyword tracking tools are ideal for checking how high certain phrases rank, and there are plenty of free resources out there to get started.Secondly, you need to figure out what platform to use.Blogger, WordPress, and Tumblr are amongst  the most popular blog creation sites â€" offering a range of different tools and features to help build and promote your blog.However, not all features are provided i n the free versions, so if you’re looking for more ownership, plug ins, and modified themes, you may need to pay a small cost to self-host your blog instead.But don’t panic if you’re not looking to spend. Free usage will still provide everything you need to get started, with the option to upgrade at a later date if your blog proves to be a success.  Design your blog Aside from registering your site, you also need to figure out how you want your blog to look.Blogging platforms will usually offer a variety of themes, so all you need to do is pick one that suits your own style, as well as the type of content you’re going to post.Alternatively, if you know how to code, you could even choose to build your own.For example, photography bloggers will probably benefit from a layout that places an emphasis on imagery, rather than text â€" and those looking to post in article format might want to use a theme that offers a multiple page format.Other features include everything from vari ous types of tagging, categories, headings, and icons to layouts that accommodate for high-resolution backgrounds, videos, and music.Make your blog visible Once you’ve started posting, it’s time to do some self-promotion.This can be done through sharing your posts on social media, attending conferences, workshops, or meetups, or leaving useful comments on similar blogs.You can also add a link to your blog in your social media profiles, giving anyone who views it the opportunity to visit your site.If you’re still struggling to get views, spending more time learning SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) will help you climb the ranks on Google, and get more people finding your content.There are plenty of SEO courses and digital marketing certifications out there to help you get started â€" many of which are relatively inexpensive, and could prove invaluable in helping you set up a successful blog.Using your blog to find workHaving your own blog isn’t just talking about a topic you†™re interested in. It’s also an excellent way to turn your passion into a career.Aside from monetising your site by including assets such as paid adverts, just having a blog is a great way to demonstrate your skills to recruiters.Start by linking to it in your CV â€" or even just mentioning it in your hobbies and interests section, along with the title or URL.If it’s related to your chosen industry (for example, fashion and beauty), it’s an effective way to show recruiters your expertise in the subject area.But even if it’s just showing your transferable skills (e.g. how running a blog shows commitment, hard work, and dedication), or examples of your written and design skills, it could prove to be the deciding factor in finding you your ideal job.Still searching for your perfect position? 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Make it a Great Week!

Make it a Great Week! Happy Monday!   Today is the start of the last full week before many of us go out of town for the rest of the year, which means it has to be a super productive week at the office.   I’m sure many of you feel the heat of hitting Q4 goals, tying out the year end financial statements, or dealing with clients who need extra attention at this time of year.   Thanks to a few of my Twitter friends, here  are some tips to help you rock your week so you can enjoy the Holidays without feeling guilty.   Thanks Zach, Allie and Jessica!   ·               Take some time to plan out this week’s task and project list on Monday morning so you have a clear vision for the week.   Clear up any issues from last week so you have a fresh start. ·               Avoid spending too much time on high maintenance clients who are a detour to your productivity. ·               Put your Crackberry away. ·               Take advantage of Tuesday.   It is said to be the most productive work day of the week. ·               Don’t check your personal email first thing in the morning.   All those forwards, you tube videos and interesting articles may end up wasting hours of your day without you even noticing. ·               Work your day in blocks.   Close your email and send calls to voicemail if possible to focus on the tasks at hand.   Give yourself a limited amount of time to finish a task and move on.   This is especially great if you work well under pressure or have a case of ADHD like me!   You can look forward to the small break after that time period is up and be proud of yourself for actually finishing something before jumping around to the next. ·               Have a great attitude.   Research shows that productive workers are happy workers.   You will feel much better when you just get it done than you will when you put things off.

Things Successful People Do on Weekends - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Things Successful People Do on Weekends - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career If you think that the best thing you can on weekends is absolutely nothing, you are completely wrong! Sure, you need to time to relax and rest but this doesn’t mean that you should sit down on a coach and do nothing but watch TV for all day long. You should take control of your weekends and do the things you enjoy the most. If you do things that make you happy on weekends, you can start your workweek happier. As a result, you can be more productive and in the end much more successful. Below you can find some tips for how to spend your weekend: Plan Your Weekend: You plan your career, vacation and workday. Why not plan your weekend? Don’t try to plan every hour but schedule two-three events for your weekend such as meeting up with friends for dinner or visiting a museum or going to a concert. This will help you prevent being locked up in the house and give you an excuse to go out for a change. Spend Time with Your Loved Ones: You are generally busy during the week so spending your weekend with loved ones is one of the best options. This can be your family or friends or both. Spending time with them will help you relax, refresh your mind and simply be happy. Therefore, you will start your workweek as a more peaceful person. Unplug Yourself: Stay away from stress. Turn off your computer and smart phone for at least a few hours and force other people around you to do the same. In this way, you can spend more quality time with each other and enjoy your weekend freely. Get Ready for the Rest of the Week: Take Saturdays off for having fun and relaxing but use Sundays to get the errands done and make a strategy for the rest of the week. For example; on Sundays do your laundry, clean the house and cook a great meal so when Monday comes, you are ready to go. Do Something Different: Your weekends should feel different than your workweeks. For this reason, find yourself hobbies to do on weekends like swimming or playing tennis or painting. If you don’t have any hobbies, you can go to the gym and exercise. This will help you clear your mind and let your body recover from the stress of the workweek.

Personal Branding and the Digital Economy - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding and the Digital Economy - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career The world is changing and its going to have a monumental affect on every profession and person. The rules and boundaries have shifted as the internet and social networking have evolved into staples of our everyday lives. Change is inevitable growth is a choice The world economy is in the process of going digital and more is on the way. Technologies like telepresence (Cisco) and GoToMeeting (Citrix) are allowing people to interact in stunning clarity over IP networks and their desktops revolutionizing the way we do business. Televisions are now widget enabled and internet ready so users can enjoy their favorite social networking sites like Flickr and Twitter right from their living room. Heck, you can even watch your fantasy football team update right on your own TV as you watch the game pretty cool! Health records are in the process of being digitized because for too many years we have relied on unsustainable means of data entry and preservation adding massive costs to our health care system. Would you believe that only 15% of all patient records in the United States are digital? It is true. Businesses have realized the value or their information and have taken steps to preserve and protect their digital information. Digital economy businesses rely on analyzing massive amounts of digital information to bring new products and services to market quicker than their competitors. Many of us have joined social networks because we enjoy the interaction, entertainment and knowledge sharing that it brings to our lives. We write blog posts, post photos, post tweets and update our status all the time. If the world economy, television, health records, businesses, and even you and I have gone digital the next logical step is to create your personal brand and take advantage of the opportunities the digital economy presents. This video clip gives some amazing perspective into what is on the way. What are you doing to prepare yourself? Author: Chad Levitt is the author of the New Sales Economy blog, which focuses on how Sales 2.0 Social Media can help you connect, create more opportunities and increase your business. Chad is also the featured Sales 2.0 blogger at SalesGravy.com, the number one web portal for sales pros, the professional athletes of the business world. Make sure to connect with him on Twitter @chadalevitt.

How to Write a Cover Letter With Resume

How to Write a Cover Letter With ResumeIf you are looking for information on how to write a cover letter with resume, you are in the right place. There are a lot of things you need to consider before you write your resume. You should know what you want to achieve by using it and what kind of impression you want to make on the employer.When writing your resume, you should put a strong emphasis on your achievements and education. Include your education details as well as where you have been and what you have achieved. But do not overdo the educational details and exaggerate them. Put in the right details that will be convincing to the employers. It is imperative that you provide the most relevant information about yourself to make an impact on your prospective employer.The next thing you need to think about while writing your resume is the skills that are required in order to perform the tasks that are mentioned on the job. Make sure that your resume is clear and concise. Remember that your employer needs to know what type of work you can offer him or her. For example, if you are an actor and you want to apply for a teaching position, your resume must not just mention your talent but also mention what your expertise is in. This will help you impress the hiring manager.In addition, when you write your resume, make sure that you check all the spelling and grammar mistakes. Keep in mind that the employer might not have English as his first language and he would certainly appreciate it if you would do some research and proofread your resume. Don't be afraid to revise your resume. You might have overlooked some of the important details that might make the difference between getting the job or getting it back.Besides, make sure that your resume is organized. The letter is an effective tool but is useless without the proper organization. While reading the resume, try to take note of the topics which are worth mentioning because this will help you highlight them and also save you from the pile of paper you will be left with after reading your resume.If you want to use a cover letter with resume for getting interview calls, you should follow the same rules as you would if you were applying for a job. Don't put up a formal cover letter. Start off with a lighthearted and friendly one. This will serve as a very good introduction for your potential employer. There will be some hesitations while reading your resume so it is advisable that you share some personal stories and anecdotes about yourself to get a feel of the qualities that you can bring to the table.To sum it up, use your cover letter to help make your resume come alive. Do not forget to organize the resume. And finally, try to keep your resume as simple as possible. Just remember that if you do not add a few lines of humor and creativity, the resume will look like a collection of boring facts.If you want to know how to write a cover letter with resume, the best resource is the internet. There are a lot of resources available on the internet. All you need to do is spend some time researching and you will surely find what you are looking for.