We’ve noticed an interesting occurrence in content creation among blogging blogs. It’s what we call, the compilation post. A compilation post is similar to a list or ‘best of’ post but it consists primarily of links to software or blog previews to showcase the best (or worst) of a certain trend taking shape in the blogosphere.

The benefits of creating compilation posts are fairly clear. They are easy to read and scan through, they are excellent reference guides, they beg to be bookmarked and they spread link love to talented people across the blogosphere. We thought we’d weigh in, and better explain the trend by creating a compilation of compilation posts.

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Everyone here at Apollo Media is infatuated with Netvibes, the personalized start page service that allows you to organize your favorite blog RSS feeds, Digg stories, Flickr pictures and more into easily manageable tabs. We previously hailed Netvibes as one of our top blog resources, and we were excited to hear about Netvibes Ginger, the newest version of the RSS aggregator.

Simply put, Ginger takes the same features that made Netvibes so accessible and adds more customizable and personal options, so you can integrate your various email and social networking services into one place. For internet addicts like us, these are incredibly valuable additions that save you the time and effort that would otherwise be spent hopping across all those pages separately.

Here is a breakdown of what Ginger is introducing to the social media world:

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A friend of mine has confided that he is having trouble staying motivated when it comes to writing consistent posts and articles. After some careful analysis of his dilemma, I decided to write a post dedicated to anyone who wants some motivation and is willing to change their blog to get it. The following are some general tips to help those looking to revamp their efforts find some footing as they look to the future:

Consider a new layout and design. You may feel that you’re blog’s appearance is hindering your motivation to write for it. A new design theme or layout can help rekindle your desire to post. Incorporate greater accessibility, uniqueness and clarity into your design to maximize the presentation of your content. A fresh new look for your blog is a great way for you to take more pride in your work, especially if you take the time to design it yourself.

Define and narrow your blog’s focus. Your blog’s content may be too broad and varied, making it difficult for you to get down to business and develop consistent content. Write a list of things you are interested in and capable of writing about. Create a list of possible categories that Read the rest of this entry »

The other day we wrote a post about lowering your bounce rate. It explained how different blogs can have different rates according to the scope of their content and how it is displayed on the blog. Expanding on this topic, we thought we would introduce Google’s latest service that will help bloggers set realistic goals for themselves within their respective niche.

What is Benchmarking?

About a month ago, Google announced that they were introducing a “Benchmarking Service” into their Analytics program. Benchmarking essentially allows you to compare your blog’s stats (Visits, Pageviews, Pages per Visit, Bounce Rate, Average Time on Site, and New Visits data) with an aggregated report on blogs similar to yours in both size and category.

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We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: blogging is a continual learning process. Even the most successful and popular blogs have to revamp their designs, plug-ins and content development to suit changing tastes and trends in the blogosphere.

For many bloggers, the amount of room they give their visitors, in terms of how they control the experience of the blog, presents a particular challenge. Certainly there are optimal ways to read certain types of content but it is recommended that bloggers take a more liberal stance on how their work is accessed.

Here are several common sense methods, and their rationale, that will help bloggers yield more control to their readership:

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One of the most glaring things that comes up in the analytics for my blog (not this one) is its incredibly high bounce rate, which usually hovers between 65 – 75%. By professional web standards, this is not something to brag about. For those not in the know, your bounce rate is the statistic that tells you how many people are leaving your site from the page they land on.

Typically, a good website provides its intended visitors what they need or want. A low bounce rate, something under 50% for example, indicates that your website is doing what it’s supposed to be doing: inspiring the majority of your visitors to stick around and see what other useful information they can find.

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The Guardian UK published a comprehensive list of the world’s 50 most powerful blogs about a month ago, websites that have excelled at carving their niche, establishing their authority on their subject matter and continually offering their readers consistent and unique content.

These blogs are more than just popular, they are incredibly influential multiple social arenas, shifting political attitudes, exposing scandals, revealing exciting new technologies or just showing strange and funny pictures. All of these examples are demonstrations of effective branding and remarkable content development. They have each earned substantial followings.

We are also thrilled to see our personal favorite copyblogger.com get mention. We do have a guest post there after all!

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In a blogosphere dependant on linking and social bookmarking, it’s all too easy to rely on other people’s information when developing content for your blog. To standout in a crowded playing field, you have to put more of yourself into your writing rather than just being a source for links and resources.

The following is a list that differentiates ideas from information, tips that will help you distinguish your blog by encouraging you to formulate and express your own ideas and opinions. It could mean the difference between a successful blog that connects with its readership and a blog that gets lost in a tide of endless information. Make the distinction.

Are you just linking and describing other articles or are you adding to its impact through elaboration? Here are some tips on getting your own ideas out there:

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At Apollo Media, we strive to bring you the best advice on building your blog, optimizing your content and connecting with your audience and fellow bloggers. While we are confident that our work is beneficial to both seasoned and beginning bloggers, we owe a lot to our mentors online, namely the outstanding blogs featured here.

So to give credit where credit is due, in no particular order, we thought we would come up with a list of some of our favorite sources for blogging tips, SEO advice and writing skills:

Copyblogger – Copywriting Blog

The brainchild of Brian Clark, CopyBlogger is a prime source for tips on effective writing skills for marketing, advertising and blogging. Centered on content development, branding and maximizing creativity, CopyBlogger’s diverse collection of articles is always great food for thought that inspires critical thinking about your own work.
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Daily Blog Tips had an interesting article last month about improving your readers’ experience on your blog. When the discussion centered on responding to comments, there was a brief mention of rewarding your readers with incentives for their words.

One of the key ways of doing so is to create a ‘Top Comments’ or ‘Top Commentators’ list that shows displays the names (and back links) of those who participate the most on your blog. There are several plug-ins available for Wordpress that allow you to create such a list. One of them is Show Top Commentators and is available for free download.

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