The Blog-Studio

Workshop latest results:

After a 'hard' days work - but very enjoyable all around - the Blog-Studio is proud to announce the first results of the first workshop.
6 'students', very eager to learn 'what's it all about' - who were impossible to stop commenting, posting and....
starting their own blogs.
See our Blog-Studio bloggers page for the new arrivals in the blogosphere.

Both Lesley and I are very happy with the results. We feel we have 'set them up properly', but don't take our word for it, read for yourself what our 'students' thought about workshop.

See you on one of our workshops soon?

First Try

Firstly i have no idea what a Blog is, I have heard the term and know it is something to do with the Internet where people write an On line Diary of their lives for anyone in the World to see or comment on, I don't  know how to find a Blog or why anyone would want to, share information, but in the case why not send an email?

Then I heard about the Blog Studio and thought that it might be an opportunity to find out more and see if it would be a help in my business, if what I had heard was true I can write about a subject that is of importance to me and (somehow) use it to help grow my business.  If writing a Blog about a particular  subject can help to promote my Website it will of course give it more hits and eventually more sales  and that will help with my aim to find more of my income from the Internet, there is also the possibility of and on line Forum where other people can find or advise on a subject without the need to go to a Website of a particular  company or organisation.

I have not ( to date)  seen a Blog so I do not know what to expect, is it just a Daily Diary, or does it look like a Web page? can a picture  be put on it and if  so who controls the content, hot do I find a Blog, do I just type in a subject and up pops three thousand or so possible links? or can I be more specific? or do Blogs just get mixed up with ordinary Websites and just make searching for something more difficult?

I decided that if I was to find out the answers that I should learn all about Blogging and learn how to use to my advantage in business and to help others understand the importance of good clean and healthy water in their lives and just how one simple move from hard damaging water to beautifully softened water can be a life changing moment for Eczema and Psoriasis sufferers, by removing hard water scale and scum from water delicate skin is not irritated and has a much better chance of healing.

It is also very important for everyone to drink plenty  of natural or filtered water to help keep the skin  hydrated and therefore moisturised, drinking enough water can help combat skin disorders such as eczema, psoriasis, dry skin, wrinkles and sports but drinking water with Chlorine in can be a problem, both in drinking and bathing in , it vaporises a low temperatures and that is why a Swimming pool has such an unpleasant and strong smell, quite often drinking water has a bad chlorine taste  and smell can effect beverages badly,

I am hopeful that Blogging will help me to help a lot of people to understand the importance of good quality water

Why am I here?

Why am I here? that is the question.

A blog just seemed another strange word from America that sounded pretty silly, and i had no idea what it was until I saw an article on television and that is when I found out that it was short for Web Log and that people merely used it as an "on line" open diary of their day to day lives that any one in the world can read or comment on- strange!!

I found out more recently that it could also be used for for business purposes (better) to drive more people to a Web Site, now I am beginning to get interested..... but to date I have not accessed a Blog, neither do I have any idea how to.

When I heard that Karin Hermans was organising a Blog workshop I immediately decided to join the Blogging community with the express aim of getting more people to my Website www.betterwatersolutions.co.UK  thereby helping me to make my earning capacity greater on the Internet.

Having been a Plumber since 1963 (the big freeze) I have decided to make my living without the need to continually visit osteopaths to keep me going, so being a water specialist I am going to concentrate on selling water softeners and good quality water filters and purifiers through my secure on line payment site www.flowsoftwatercare.co.UK .

I have a special interest in helping people suffering from Eczema and psoriasis who may benefit greatly from the knowledge of how hard water scale and Chlorine can aggravate delicate skin conditions

My Reason For Learning Blogging.

The reason I came on this training day is so that in my old age or when I retire I can sit in my armchair and make some money from blogging!  I just need a good idea to write about. 

I have some 30 years experience in running our own companies, in road haulage and as Auctioneers, but since the last 2 years or so I have had a career change due to my husband having suffered a stroke.  Rather difficult for an auctioneer to work without speech!!  I now teach IT two days a week to adults with learning and physical disabilities which is very rewarding and one day a week I work with my good friend Lesley Perk of Ashford Computer Training, mainly in administration.

I like to keep up with all new IT training, ideas and new developments and opportunities which the Internet can offer.

Is this something I want to do?

Not being someone who enjoys sitting on a chair in front of a screen that I have to interact with, does pose the question "why have I signed up to a Blogging Workshop"?  I don't actually have a straight forward answer, I don't have a complex one either.  Because I want, need to expand my business, I have to find new and innovative ways of doing this.  Advertising definitely doesn't work in my field, networking definitely does as does the written word in magazine articles, so hopefully blogging will be an extension of this.

Better Listings On Google can only be positive.  I want to find out how this can be achieved thru' a blog.  From what I understand, a blog is a type of diary, so I suppose I have to write it as if it is real life, possibly talk about real life situations that may or may not have happened, pose a question and answer it as if I had solved the problem.  I have read and contributed to the occasional forum, I found the whole process incredibly boring, there are some amazing prats out there who think they know all the answers and think everybody else are imbeciles.  Perhaps I'm one of them, but I don't think so, at least I hope not.

My main concern is that I don't have the mind set to manage a blog.  Altho' I'm a fairly outgoing individual, somehow the idea of writing a diary is pretty alien as well as scary, in that people may learn too much about one.  I also wonder how people find your blog in the first place.  I really do not want to have to spend hours managing/writing something.  I don't have the patience, but on the other hand, if I found that it was achieving what I wanted, then I'm sure I would become a blogging convert.

So what do I hope my blog will achieve?  Increased business, no more, no less.  Having said that, of course it would be nice to give people information and answer questions, but the ultimate aim would be to get more business.

Chi Power - Dr Derek's Blog

There are a tremendous number of people who do not believe in the existence of Chi Energy.

As a beginner, a simple way to feel your own Chi Energy is to place your hands palm to palm, then in a fairly vigorous way rub them together in a sort of scissor action backwards and forwards.

When you feel the friction created heat, very slowly move your hands apart and hold them a short way apart and very slowly move the palms towards and away from each other.

You should feel a "pull" between the palms. You must not be too tense, the more relaxed you are the better!

And now you know it really exists then Enjoy the feeling and then come to my Chi Class!

www.increasechipower.com

Also try:- for a broader life perspective www.dantotsu.eu

Thanks,

Derek

An IT Person at an IT workshop.. why am I here?

I have joined up for this workshop as I have always read blogs since they started gaining popularity on the Internet, and occasionally comment upon several. I have often considered starting a blog but have always put it off – usually through not knowing what I could regularly write about or how to manage public comments that are visible to all (and archived + indexed by search engines for the world to see).

I have also regularly installed a variety of blog software onto some of my customers sites, including custom modifications, and through this workshop hope to gain further insight into what my customers are using their blogs for so that they can be assisted further and better in the future.

I believe a blog will add value to some new brands and concepts that I am in the process of developing and revitalise current on-line brands that have fallen in search engine rankings over the years on-line. (Although you can still find things dating back to around 1994 relating to me and my brands if you look hard enough in the right places!)

A blog could also be used as a sounding board for customers to feedback regarding new products and issues that are encountered in both old and new products.

Admittedly, I still do not know what I will write about – however at the time of writing, the workshop is yet to start and a part of why I am here is for inspiration!

Quick Guide Typepad 4: The look and feel of your blog

Time to play around. Create Your Blog Today TypePad

Typepad comes (at the moment) with 67 different templates and 10 different lay-outs - unlimited combinations - well almost of course, 'only' 670 to be precise.
In the Weblog tab in your account you find the design tab. This will bring you here:

The design choice starts with selecting one of the 67 pre-defined themes. Have a look at them all, try some out (by ticking the box underneath a theme you fancy and click pre-view - this will show you the template with your blog title in the banner). Every theme has its own (fixed) style in font type, font size, colour of links and titles.
Choose the one most suited to you, your unique blog, your personal style or interest by clicking the 'Save Changes' button.  You decide. (And change the theme after a month, a year if you like; nothing is set in stone.)

Next up is the lay-out of your blog. Since most of you have had a look at several other blogs you have noticed that most (professional, serious) blogs have two columns or more. One wide column for the articles and one, or more smaller, columns filled with links, lists, pictures, web-tools etc that show up on every page, post. Some prefer to have the text - articles - left, others in the middle and some on the right hand side of the screen.
Again, play around, pre-view and 'Save Changes' once you have found the one most suited to you. You decide. (And change the lay-out after a month, a year if you like; nothing is set in stone.)

A bit more complex is the following step: select your content.
There are some fixed and some optional. First up are those items added to every post you will publish and how posts are archived. Most of them are self-explainable, like post title and post date header. The post footer you can configure yourself by selecting the options available (like 'author', category, time etc). What FeedBurner's FeedFlare means will be further explained during the workshops - is part of web marketing techniques, nothing to worry about now.
You can also 'organise' your sidebar modules here, but again we will delve deeper into this during the workshop. For the time being always select at least the following modules: Archive links, Categories, Recent Posts, Recent Comments, email link.
'Save Changes' will allow you the next step in finishing your design. (Once again, nothing set in stone.)

Last quick guide step in designing the look and feel of your blog: Order Content. Very simple: drag and drop the selected modules to the place you want them in your sidebar column or columns if you selected a three column lay-out. Pre-view to see if you're happy and 'Save Changes'.

(The Edit Custom CSS needs knowledge of Cascading Style Sheet coding, best left alone for now. In here you can change - among other items -  the fixed font type and font size - however, code wrong and your blog might go haywire.)

All you have to do now is click on "Republish Weblog" to activate all design choices.

As promised in an earlier post: adding the sub-title, catch-phrase in the blog title banner.
In your Weblog tab select the tab Configure and if needed the weblog basics tab.
Your weblog name is shown in the first box, followed by another box: Weblog description/catchphrase.
In here you write your additional info. Adding a 'hard return' to show an empty line below the title and the subtitle is done by simple HTML-coding: <br> is the code for a 'hard return'.
'Save Changes' will activate your edited title banner immediately.
(For checking the result when you haven't published a test post yet: go back to the design tab and select pre-view - button can be found at the bottom of this page, next to 're-publish weblog)

Done, your blog is ready for its first (test) post.

(New online home-study program now available on the 1 plus 1 makes 3 blog-site: The Practical Typepad Guide on sale now! Learn how to grow your business in a simple and effective way using a blog platform)

Quick Guide Typepad 3: A brand new Weblog, names again

You're almost there - you've decided on the root name of your blog(s), you've selected the account type most appropriate for you - now it's time to get serious about it: creating and designing a brand new weblog.

And we're back at choosing a suitable name again. When you log into your account click on the tab labelled WebLogs and then on Create a new Weblog:

The first question will be: Enter the Weblog name (the name that'll show up on your title banner)
Followed by a second: Enter the Weblog Folder name (the extension behind the root name for this particular blog)
Example given:
Blog name: (Wood You Like Natural Wooden Flooring)

Folder (extension) name: (tips)

Think carefully about the second question, this will be your blog's 'domain name' and is awkward to change afterwards - specially when you've published a few posts.
The issue here is that everything you type in as Weblog name (Q1) appears automagically in the box for the folder name (Q2). In the above case it said: wood_you_like_natural_wooden_flooring - not the most simple name. If needed, make sure you change the folder name to a more simple and appropriate one.

Coming back to question one: your blog title. You're absolutely free to create the most elaborate name you like. You can name it after your company, after your most favourite past-time (Flying High and Dry), after your idol (My memories of Elvis-the-Pelvis), your family name (or nick-name: De PiPiKar) etc.
This name stands (out) in a large font on the title banner. It's also very easy to add a sub-title, catch-phrase or further description, which will show in the banner too, in a smaller font (see for the 'how to' in a later post - we like to stick to the very basics first).

What will you blog be about? We can't tell you how to name your blog, but it's common practice (can we even call it common sense) to let the title reflect the contents - and the subtitle or catch-phrase can be of great help.

Before you create your weblog there's another question to answer: Make this blog public?
Yes means Google and all other search-engine spiders will start indexing your blog immediately - a good thing if you like.
No means you can play around with the design and test posts first to get a feeling for it.
You decide.

Next step (and post): selecting your blog-design, the appearance of your blog, the way your blog is laid-out using one, two or even three columns. You decide.

Create Your Blog Today TypePad

(New online home-study program now available on the 1 plus 1 makes 3 blog-site: The Practical Typepad Guide on sale now! Learn how to grow your business in a simple and effective way using a blog platform)

Quick Guide Typepad 2: Setting up your blog account

Every 'student' of The Blog-Studio receives an invitation to become a 'guest-author' on this blog - important part of the Introduction to Blogging workshop - this is a FREE account on typepad. (Why we have chosen Typepad? It's simple, user friendly, effective, well known and much more - plus it's the software we as trainers have the most experience with).
The aim of the introduction workshops is to explain and show what a blog - or web publishing platform - can do for your business, organisation, club or family.

The guest-author can simply and quickly create an own unique blog-account with Typepad. Every account - no matter what type you select - comes with 'hosting' included, meaning you don't need to register (and pay for) a domain name, contact (and pay for) a web domain hosting company. This only comes into it when you decide to 'map' your blog to an unique co.uk or .com domain name.

Typepad account types - details and costs (you can always upgrade - any time - to the next level if the type you select first doesn't 'fit' your needs any more).
Features on all types: 67 design templates, image and file upload facility, fixed pages, enable comments and create categories for your blog.

Basic

The most simple account: one author, one blog. 100MB storage and 2GB bandwidth per month. You have to use one of the many professional design templates - nothing wrong with that on its own, but if you want to include your own logo on the blog-title banner you have to select at least the plus account.
You can't 'map' this account to another .co.uk or .com domain name, nor can you schedule a future date/time for a post to be published.
Price (in UK £): approximately £ 25.00 per year

Plus

Next step up: one author, maximum three blogs. 500MB storage and 5GB bandwidth per month.
Design your own 'design' or select one of the many template designs. Schedule the publishing of your draft posts upfront (handy when you're on holiday, you can write and save as many draft posts you like - set a specific date and time you want each of them to appear life on your blog and go on a relaxed and well deserved break)
Domain-mapping available.
Price (in UK £): approximately £ 46.00 per year

Pro

The 'ultimate' family, small business, club and organisation blog account. Add (guest) authors to your blog, have as many blogs as you like and edit the HTML code of your design to your specific liking or needs (for the last feature you do need coding knowledge and experience, but you don't have to use the advanced templates if you don't want to). 1GB storage and 10GB bandwidth per month.
Domain-mapping available. Includes all extra features of the plus account.
Price (in UK £): approximately £ 77.00 per year

Premium

If you need even more storage (3GB) and bandwidth (20GB), plus gives you access to Typepad Insider Groups with special Insider web-events (a 'forthcoming' Insider group that is, apparently not in function yet).
Price in (UK £): approximately £ 152.00 per year
To be honest, I personally think the PRO level covers most of what any company, club or organisation needs - at this moment there are to few details known about the premium level to pay the £ 75.00 a year extra.

Create Your Blog Today TypePad

For more comparison between the different types see the typepad feature chart.

(New online home-study program now available on the 1 plus 1 makes 3 blog-site: The Practical Typepad Guide on sale now! Learn how to grow your business in a simple and effective way using a blog platform)