1. Select the niche
Before finding the forum, you have select the niche you want to target. Niche is like a topic that you want to concentrate on. This can be anything from health to making money online. But make sure you are selecting the niche that you have some interest on. You should be able to provide information to the people in that niche. It is always best to start with one of your hobbies.

2. How To Find Free Forums In Your Niche
This is the important step and is what this post will be concentrating on. Now there are tons of forums in the web and it is impossible to join every forum. Also you cannot post in every forum actively. Even if you post in many forums, they won’t help you much unless the people reading the forum are interested in your blog or product or whatever you are promoting. So you have to be smart and find the niche that is really interested in your service. Here are the steps to follow:

• Go to Google
• Type “your niche forum”. If my niche is internet marketing, I’ll search “internet marketing forum”
• You can type with/without quotes
• Note down the forums in the first page in the same order as it is listed
• Now visit all the forums and see how many members they have, how many threads they have and how active the forums are
• Write down all the information by the side of the forums name that you have noted down
• Arrange them in such a way the forum with most number of members or threads or activity is first and followed by others in decreasing order
• Also see if the forums are free or not and note them down
• Now decide on how many forums you want to join and do so quickly
• Start answering questions in the forum and have your blog or product url in your signature (You will see a post on this tomorrow so don’t forget to come back or better subscribe to the blog so you will not miss the article)

Important Tip: Don’t spam the forum with affiliate links. Contribute to the forum.

P.S: If you don’t have a blog yet, I recommend you start one. If you are looking for a good host, you can check hostgator. For the first month, you can get hosting for only 1 cent.
Coupon Code: wordpress

I’m not going to make this a long post and waste your time. I’ll just tell you what a blog is to me. It is only my way of defining blog your definition may vary.

What is a blog?

A blog is a space in the internet which an individual person/a group create to share their knowledge, offer opinions and provide service.

I use a blog to share my knowledge while a company will use a blog to promote their service.

So what does a blog mean to you? Write a blog post or make a comment.

Few months ago, snarfer started adding message styles and guess what? They have techcrunch and slashdot style message options. They also have few other styles like outlook express style, ALA style and bleached style. But those who read techcrunch a lot wouldn’t want to miss their blog theme in their feed reader too.

Here’s how the techcrunch theme looks like:

Slashdot Theme In Snarfer:

You can install these themes very easily.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Install snarfer

2. Once you have done it, look for an option called “Add Message Styles” in the left sidebar

3. Select a theme you want to have and install it

4. To apply it to your feeds, go to Tools->Options and click on the appearance tab

5. Select the theme you installed and click on apply

Start reading the feeds in the theme you like.

If you need any help regarding this, please post it in the comments.

Also you might want to add a video to your blog post. You find a lot of videos online, especially in youtube. But can you use them or modify them? Not all of them. You’ll have to make sure you have the rights to modify the video before doing it. Creative commons site lets you to do this. You can search for videos that let you to modify them.

Most of all, there are some interesting audios that you can find for commercial and derivative use from this by using this site. This site only acts as a search engine that gets you the links to pictures, videos and audios with any type of use you desire. A must-bookmark site for all bloggers.

Twitter is good and I use it everyday to get new friends and to have touch with those who are already my friends. Suddenly, many blogs have started to write about twitter. The reason? Well I don’t know. I have written a post on twitter too. You can read that post here which emphasizes on how to get more twitter friends.

Fine, let’s see few blogs which have blogger about twitter and also some other references.

Take a look at the Social Media category of Sphinn, a social media site which I like.

Social Media Category in Sphinn

The above is the link to the hot topic in the social media category of sphinn. You can see many blog posts in the hot topic column about twitter.

Also many big blogs have started to write about twitter.

Search Engine Land had a post about twitter. It was on the topic “Twitter Wrote This Column For Me“. It was a very interesting post filled up with the answers of the people to the questions asked in twitter.

You can also read Read Write Web writing on Twitter. It was on “How We Use Twitter For Journalism“.

So what is the reason behind sudden increase in the number posts about twitter? Please share it in the comments.

You can also add me on twitter here.

Though there are many sites, only few of them become popular. Ritu, who owned (Not now. He sold it.) Work N Play blog, and Jason of JDsBlog has started a site for freelance writing job seekers and advertisers. The site is called GhostBlogging.Net. I had a look at the site and was pretty impressed by it.

For Freelance Bloggers

Freelance bloggers can apply for job at no cost. It is absolutely FREE to use. There are already a couple of good freelance writing gigs which you might want to give it a go. I have seen even big blogs like Freelance Folder posting an ad in the site. So what are you waiting for? Go there and apply for a good blogging gig.

For Advertisers

Those who are seeking freelance bloggers can post their ad in the site very easily and get quality freelance bloggers. It is only $10/month to join. I think there is a fee for joining only to avoid poor or low quality ads. They want only advertisers who are seriously looking for freelance bloggers. Also advertisers get a FREE ebook when they join. This ebook is titled SEO for Freelancers.

Whether you are a freelance blogger or a blogger who is seeking for a freelance blogger, ghost blogging is a good site for you and can get you a gig or a freelance blogger whatever you are trying for. Try it and let me know if you get a freelance writing gig from that site.

P.S: This is not a paid review but just a good website I’m pointing you to.

By this time, you would have understood what I’m talking about. Even if you haven’t, let me tell you.

When we are linking to blogs or any source, we normally copy and paste the URL’s. If you are using the WordPress visual editor, you will be linking to sites using the ‘link to’ option that is built it. No problem in using that. When you click on the link icon in the visual editor, you get a space to fill in with the URL. The problem here is that there will be “http://” in the space and it will be highlighted. Whatever you type now will erase the http:// and the text will start to appear. If you are copying a URL and pasting it, then no problem. If you are manually typing the URL, you might type something like this:

www.blogname.com

When you publish the blog post, it will appear as:

http://yourblogurl.com/www.blogname.com

So please be careful when you are linking to sites or blog posts and always check twice whether you have the URLs correct.

Image Source: Linda N.

A great reader makes a great writer. Every blogger (at least 99%) loves to read. Reading ebooks is one way to get new content ideas for your blog. There are many ebooks out there which you can get it for free and read it. But not all of them are worth reading. It is always best to use your time for worthy things. After all, who would want to waste time on an ebook that has nothing to tell you or teach to you?

FREE is something everyone looks for in the internet. Everyone loves free items whether they are going to use it or not. There are tones of free things available in the internet but you can’t download all of them. So here are the three ebooks that you should be reading this week:

1. How to start a business blog
This ebook comes in courtesy Michael Martine, a well known blogger and a freelance writer. He has his own business blog running successfully and he knows what he is doing to the blog. Now he has a kind heart to teach others the same thing at NO COST. Why in earth would you want to miss this type of ebook? Download the How to start a business blog ebook.

2. Blog Monetization Strategies
If you are a blogger in the make money online niche, you should be knowing Matt of blogging fingers by now. If not, go to his beautiful blog and learn about him and the techniques he use to earn money. In this ebook, he shows you how to monetize a blog in a proper way and earn money from it. Download the Blog Monetization Strategies ebook.

3. Effective Internet Presence
I found this ebook when Chris Garrett wrote about it in his blog. This ebook is written by Ted Demopoulos and it helps you in creating an effective internet presence. The ebook tell you the different ways in which you can become famous and brand your name in the internet. Download the Effective Internet Presence ebook.

If you really want to read some good free ebooks this week, I suggest you to read the above three ebooks. They are good and I have read them. Please share in the comments, the free ebooks which you found well worth the reading time.

Till date, I have posted three articles in the series and the total number of comments received in the series is around 33. So that is around 11 comments per post. Though all comments were interesting and up to the point, I found few comments to be really good and actually attracted my mind to reply to those comments immediately after I saw it.

Not that the other comments are not good, but these comments were better. So here are some of the best comments I received till now.

Post Title: What Everybody Ought To Know About Blog Commenting

Best Comments: (Not in any order)

1. Chris Estes

He said “Cool Post!!!

Ok so I wont end with that. I agree that that commenting is a great way for exposure. I have formed relationships in a very short time due to commenting alone. I don’t find it as hard to become friends with “blog stars.” When posting comments you make a couple good points and contact them if you don’t hear from them. Most bloggers are trying to network the same as you and I have found they will reach out before you do.”

2. Ben

He said “First of all, good pictures, I love them. Second, I delete all comments on my sites that don’t help the conversation. I am into commenting for links and I want those first 10 comments to be something that will make someone want to see what sites that person runs.”

Post Title: Warning: Using These 7 Techniques Will Get Your Comments Read

Best Comment(s):

1. Freelance Writing

She said “Hopefully my avatar will pass the test of being unique. Since there is only one of me. I’m sorry to disappoint in not writing a huge comment since my eyes are killing me right now.

1st: The post was well structured and you raised some good points there too.

2nd: I loved the use of your images

3rd: Your buttons to submit to the social bookmarking sites are cool, did you do them yourself?

4rd: Thanks for a good post.

5th: Hopefully this will qualify for your points

6th: Merry Christmas

7th: and a happy new year”

Post Title: 3+1 Things Which Determine The Traffic You Will Get From Comments

Best Comment(s):

1. Chris Estes

He said “I am enjoying your series. Being a new blogger, or at least having my own blog, I don’t get much traffic and I can say that the bulk of my traffic comes from comments I have made on other blogs. Some people veiw being the new person on the scene as spamming and I have even had good comments voted down into the spam category.

One thing I have noticed about blog commenting is it fits into any traditional style marketing/branding campaign. It is like going to the industry holiday party and being right there handing out business cards. Eventually you will get noticed and people are going to remember you eventually. I am a fan of positive branding for the obvious reasons. But, there is always that one obnoxious business card giver that is always there and people just push aside. Moderation and finding your blog commenting “groove” is important.

Again I am really enjoying your series and look forward to your following post.”

2. Wayne Liew

He said “Getting traffic from comments might be hard but if the commenting are done based on the four guides that you have given above, I think a considerable amount of traffic will drop by.

Be the first to comment on a blog with high traffic will surely get the link some coverage. However, I see small blogs which are related to my blog as a good target for networking rather than getting traffic.”

3. Linda R. Moore

She said “It’s very refreshing to read an article that puts some thought into the commenting issue, since I am used to reading those that say “go find the dofollow blogs and comment on them to get some links back.” In actual fact I have a plugin now that makes the dofollow conditional: a person has to have a set number of comments approved before they get the nofollow tag removed.

In answer to Ramkarthik, above, I hate it when people use a keyword to comment. I’m not that pleased with them using their blog name, either. I use my pen name to brand myself and have more respect for those who use a real name or, at least, a real nickname.

In fact, it’s against my commenting policy and if people do it I replace their name with their real name (from their blog) or, if I can’t find it, some arbitrary name.

Best wishes,
Linda R. Moore”

4. Jessie

He said “your tips are very helpful. as a blogger myself, I agree that one should leave a relevant comment, not just to be noticed, but because of the good intent to contribute to the discussion. Some commentators leave behind comments (just like you implied) for the traffic. However, other readers in my view can simply recognize if a commenter is a drive-by commentator or not. a good approach to commenting is perhaps one key why other visitors will click on your link when you leave a comment in a blog post.”

Also thanks to my friend Guru who always comments in my blgos about the good, the bad and also about the things (like contact form) if they don’t work.

Thanks for all your feedbacks. I would like to see more names in the next update which will be done once the series is over. I’ll continue the series and make more posts and also interviews. I have something that might interest you and it will be there in the blog in couple of day. Stay tuned to the blog.

1. Blogging Tips, where I do freelance writing, has launched a Market Place. You can register there and do the following things:

* Advertising – For Sale

* Advertising – Wanted

* Link & BlogRoll Exchange

* Writing Positions – Paid

* Writing Positions – Guest

You can enjoy the above services for 30 days at NO cost. Take a look at the market place and register there. Blogging Tips also has a forum in which you can register from here (of course it is free).

2. Mani Karthik of has a post on How To Become A Top Stumbler In Less Than A Week. Though I don’t agree on everything written in that post, I have to say it is a nice written one. Good analysis by Mani. Also visit my StumbleUpon profile and add me as a friend there.

3. Yaro Starak has written a good guide to affiliate marketing.

4. Steve Snell has written a post in Daily Blog Tips on Developing Your Blogging Identity. If you are a blogger in a crowded niche, then you have to be unique in some way.

5. Keith asks if there is something wrong with the niche of your blog.

Here’s few interesting posts that are from other niche. These posts were good and I thought I should link to them.

1. Madhur writes on How To Remove “Orkut Is Banned” Virus.

2. Shankar lists 5 tools to remove junk files from your system.

Hope you liked all the links. Have a nice week ahead.