Let me know what you think of the new blog theme. The comments section is on the left.
UPDATE: I’m no longer using the Monochrome Theme on this blog. However, I’m using the theme on The Podcast Blogif you would like to take a look. I’m currently experimenting with different themes here, trying to find the “sweet spot” for Ms. Ileane Speaks.
[tweetmeme source=”ileane”]Using free blogging software from WordPress known as WordPress.com, such as I do here on this blog Ms. Ileane Speaks, is a great way to get started with blogging. I discuss the debate about blogging on WordPress.com over other free platforms like Blogger over at Ms. Ileane’s Blog, but using any free blogging software platform has several disadvantages. It’s much better to register a domain name, acquire a web host and download the software for a self-hosted WordPress blog.
I won’t list all of the disadvantages for using WordPress.com here, but one of the primary arguments against having a free blog is the fact that you cannot use plugins or various themes that can improve your SEO and Page Rank with Google, Bing, Yahoo! and other search engines.
For those of us that continue to use the free WordPress.com service you can rest assured, there is still hope. This morning I checked the page rank for this blog using Google Page Rank checker and I was pleased to see a score of 4 out of 10.
This is a pretty good score considering I haven’t applied many SEO strategies. I mentioned previously in Top 5 Blog Topics, that page rank has not been a huge concern for me on this blog.
In the upcoming year, I’ve made a resolution to learn more about SEO. I’m finding some of the SEO techniques pretty easy to do and you can get started today. Here’s a short video from Chuck at CyberSmartMarketing called Link Surfing Your Website for On-Page SEO to give you a hand.
If you are considering the move to a self-hosted WordPress blog or website, contact Chuck at CyberSmartMarketing. You can also follow him on Twitter @MrCyberSmartSEO
In the meantime, take a look at your page rank and leave a comment to let me know where you stand.
I’m a self-admitted podcast addict. When I wrote Ode to My Podcasts in September of this year I had over 800 podcasts in my iTunes library. Today I have over 1,000. Watching podcasts can often be very entertaining but most of the episodes I subscribe to are tutorials and how-to videos created by those that are highly knowledgeable in their given field of expertise.
This video short pays homage to my favorites.
Blog Promotion With Podcasting
Here’s how Apple describes iTunes.
iTunes is a free application for your Mac or PC. It organizes and plays your digital music and video on your computer. It syncs all your media with your iPod, iPhone, and Apple TV. And it’s a store on your computer, iPod touch, iPhone, and Apple TV that has everything you need to be entertained. Anywhere. Anytime.
We all know the powerful and lasting impact that videos can have, but unlike YouTube, podcasts are downloaded and stored by subscribers, who will most likely watch them over and over again. I encourage you to create videos and include them as a podcast on iTunes. Podcasting can extend your social network and expose your blog to new audiences that otherwise may never find your blog.
In early November, I became an active member of the Blog Engage Community and it has been an amazing journey and an extremely rewarding experience. This image represents a small sampling of the bloggers that I’ve networked with since joining Blog Engage.
I was somewhat timid in my initial approach because I’d heard talk that it is not a good idea to join a lot of blog directories. You know, everyone is afraid of the big, bad, wolf known as Google and what might happen to you if you don’t follow every rule they make to a “T”. Yet, for every article that talks about not submitting your blog with too many directories, I find another that says directory submissions are the best thing since sliced bread. So I have to go with my gut, forget all about Google’s rules, and just “do me“.
Building a Social Network at Blog Engage
I looked around the Blog Engage site and right away I noticed something unique. I quickly caught on to the the fact that BE doesn’t look or feel at all like a directory but more like a place to hang out and rub shoulders with some of the finest bloggers on the planet!
In my last post, Top 5 Blog Topics I mentioned how I am a member of the Blog Engage community and I urge other bloggers that are interested in promoting their blog to do the same.
In this first screencast, we will visit the BlogEngage.com website and I’ll show you how easy it is to sign up.
New Benefit – Google AdSense
The second video, explores additional benefits of the BlogEngage website and a major announcement from Brian, owner of the BlogEngage website that you simply do not want to miss!
I’m more than happy to answer any of your questions and after you join the community, please let me know so that I can vote on your posts.
[tweetmeme source=”Ileane”]I recently created another blog on Posterous but I wasn’t really sure why I would need it. To fill you in on what Posterous is, the tagline from the homepage: “is the dead simple place to post everything. just email us.” And after all, my tagline and the purpose of this blog states:
I’m here to learn, to teach and to connect!
Therefore, I consider adding another blogging platform to my social media arsenal, as a golden opportunity to share the experience with my readers.
[tweetmeme source =”Ileane”]I don’t try to stay ahead of the curve, sometimes I just do. About six years ago I did some science research. To be exact it was on February 1, 2003 when NASA’s Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated on re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere killing all seven crew members (may they rest in peace) and altering my outlook on life forever.
You see NASA and the media continue to say how the foam hit the shuttle, and I know it’s just a matter of semantics, but what actually happened was that the shuttle hit the foam. Subtle difference I know, yet for me an all too important one. This distinction (and the event) sparked a hidden passion inside of me and a desire to learn more. It was on this scientific journey, this quest for knowledge, that I encountered Professor Walter Lewin and his lectures on Electricity and Magnetism.
Someone posted a seemingly endless list of Twitter apps on their blog, yet there is a new one to add the list and its called Buzzom. Take a look at part 1 on my introduction to Buzzom.
In part 2 of Twitter Meets Buzzom I preview a few of the features that I find most useful.
Please share your comments with me. Remember, Ms. Ileane Speaks, but I listen too!
Smooches!
UPDATE: Buzzom was updated in November of 2009 with new features including scheduled tweets. Visit the Buzz In Social Media Blog for details.
WordPress.com announced recently that a new theme is available for WordPress.com blogs. It’s called the Monochrome theme and knew right away I was going to give it a try. You can watch the YouTube video Change Your WordPress.com Theme – Ms. Ileane Speaks Episode #013 as I make the transition from Ocean Mist theme to Monochrome Theme.
ms. ileane speaks 