1) Get more traffic.

I know, I know. Simple but vague advice. It works though. The more traffic you get, the more people will subscribe to your blog. Since I took the easy way out with this tip, I’ll give you an actionable way to get more traffic.

Find some high traffic blogs in your niche (use Alexa to compare traffic stats) and consistently leave quality comments on those blogs. Try to be one of the first 5 commenters on the post. You’ll get some traffic and hopefully some of them will subscribe to your blog.

2) Write unique, quality content.

Even if you get a lot of traffic, you won’t get much more subscribers unless you write unique, quality content.

Are you writing content that can’t be found anywhere else in your niche? Does your content meet a need in your niche? Is your content useful and/or entertaining?

Find a blogger in your niche that you look up to and ask their opinion on the uniqueness and quality of your content.

3) Make a call to action in your posts.

Many people ignore the sidebar, so even if you have a big RSS button there, you may not get the reader’s attention.

Encourage people to subscribe in your posts. Let’s say your a travel blog. Leave calls to action at the end of your posts that say something like “If you want more travel tips, please subscribe to [insert link to RSS feed].” Also, make sure to vary your calls to action because if they’re always the same, people will ignore them.

4) For certain niches, deliver your feed through email instead of an RSS reader.

In many niches, the audience doesn’t know what an RSS feed is. In these niches, it’s better to write about getting updates through email rather than through an RSS reader. Feedburner has a free service that allows you to deliver your feed through email.

I’ve learned a lot about blogging and making money online from Brian Clark of Copyblogger.com. And now he’s has an new paid membership site where he shows us how to create our own interactive paid membership sites.

In his site found at TeachingSells.com, Brian Clark teaches wannabes like me how to market our sites and also how to use multimedia to increase the site’s value. Did you know that most people don’t read? They would rather listen to audio or watch a video. Also, they learn better through those formats.

I haven’t had time to browse through most of the lessons. I’ve been busy. But from what I’ve seen, there’s a lot of great information. Also, I think the most valuable thing is the forums. In the forums, you can network and find people to work with. Collaboration will become more important in online marketing because when you work with others, you can create higher quality sites and products.

If you’re interested in teaching online to make money, check out TeachingSells.com.

It’s been awhile since I was enrolled in college, but I found a blog post that talks about 20 things have changed college life. Here are some of the innovations that I found interesting.

Cell phones - These annoying gadgets have definitely changed the college landscape. I remember going to college and being able to talk to friends face to face for more than 30 minutes. Now it’s hard to do that without being interrupted by a cell phone call.

Google - The world’s most popular search engine has made it easier to do homework. Also, watch out with your Myspace and Facebook pages. Employers have been known to use Google to find out more about you.

Laptops - These things can be great so that you can do homework anywhere. But they are also super distracting. I stopped bringing my laptop to class because I would never listen to the teacher. Instead, I would surf the net for the whole class period.

Read the whole article.

I have a couple friends that I went to college with. They graduated with nursing and told me how hard the classes were. Some of want to take nursing online courses because they’re working full-time and don’t want to have two commutes - one to work and one to school. So, I’ve been doing some research for them. I found this article that seems to be a pretty good distance learning guide for nurses. It covers different aspects of nursing online education including how to pay for it, how to plan for your nursing career, and where to enroll.

Also, here’s an interesting take at the different technologies that have changed the nursing industry. I wonder if my friends realize how much nursing has changed because of these things.

No matter what field you are interested in studying, it’s likely that there is an online program available that will meet your needs. One of the greatest advantages of online training programs is that you are not restricted to schools within your geographic region. Since you can complete online coursework from any location, you are free to choose from among a wide variety of programs. Instead of having to settle for the most practical option, you can select the curriculum that is most likely to benefit you.

Accreditation
The manner in which an online school is accredited is one of the most important considerations. Only schools that are nationally or regionally accredited are eligible to participate in federal financial aid programs. If you plan to apply for federal student loans or grants to help defer the cost of your education, selecting a school with accredited online degree programs is a must.

If you have plans to continue your education at a higher level once you complete your initial online training program, it may be in your best interest to select a school that holds a regional accreditation. Some regionally accredited graduate schools do not recognize undergraduate degrees from schools that are nationally accredited as meeting the prerequisites for admission.

Curriculum
Don’t judge the content or value of an online program solely by the name of the program. Curricula may vary widely from one school to the next. Find out details about the entire course of study, including the number of hours need to complete, the required courses, and options for electives.

Method of Delivery
Some online degree programs are asynchronous, which means that you can complete your coursework at any time that is convenient for you. Others are partially or totally synchronous, which means that students have to complete coursework at particular, pre-scheduled times of the day. If your schedule requires maximum flexibility, it will be in your best interest to choose a program that utilizes an asynchronous delivery method.

Access to Faculty
One of the most important questions you should ask when researching online schools is how much access you will have to faculty members. Find out the preferred means of contacting instructors. Many programs allow students to contact faculty members via instant messenger, email, and via telephone during prearranged office hours.

Transfer Credit
If you have attended college in the past, find out if the online schools you are considering are willing to consider granting transfer credit for your past coursework. Some schools are even willing to offer a limited amount of life experience credit for your on-the-job work experience. If available, transfer credit and life experience credit can help you complete your online program faster and can also result in a significant financial savings.

Selecting an online college is an important decision. You are the only person who can decide which online school best meets your needs. The only way you can be sure that you are making the right choice is to thoroughly research the available options before you commit to a particular institution.

As a freelance blogger, I often get asked if I like my job.

Randa Clay has a excellent article detailing some advantages and disadvantages of freelance blogging. I agree with all her points:

Advantages
1. Opportunities to write on different topics than your regular blog.
2. Exposure to a new audience.
3. Networking opportunities.
4. It stretches your writing muscles.
5. Cross posting opportunities.

Disadvantages
1. High expectations.
2. Impact on others if you fail to produce.
3. Regular deadlines.
4. It takes time.

One of my freelance assignments is to blog at Net Business Blog. Well, the people over at Money Maker Blogs are doing a good thing by aggregating websites and blogs that talk about making money online. They even submitted Net Business Blog themselves. Also, they marketed it at social media sites. Right now Net Business Blog has the top ranking with 2 votes. Help me keep the top ranking by voting :) Thanks!

Also, make sure and visit the other internet marketing sites at Money Maker Blogs. I’m sure you’ll learn some useful info.

In my work on a great dog site, I’ve been learning a lot of different kinds of dog breeds. One of the breeds that caught my eye was the Boston Terrier.

The Boston Terrier is an American Dog. It’s not too small or too big. It’s a great dog to have as a companion. Many people love their Boston Terrier because it interacts well with kids.

Boston Terriers don’t have excessive exercise needs. You won’t have to give a Boston Terrier long walks. Also, its grooming requirements are minimal because of its short hair.

If you’re looking for a playful, family friendly dog, check out the Boston Terrier. It may be just what you’re looking for.

If you’re interested in internet marketing, I made my first video using the open source screencasting software, CamStudio. It was a pretty fun experience. I think I like doing video more than writing. Anyways, here is the link to my video. It’s on YouTube and it’s about the worlds best internet marketing tools.

My friend just wrote a neat article about her dog. In this article, she talks about her favorite dog obedience commands. She didn’t have to train her dog many new commands, because the previous owners had already trained the dog to do some commands. The article talks about the commands that she finds entertaining or useful.