I can’t stop talking about it – the ocean, the spa, the oysters, the lobster, the views, the restaurants, the boardwalk, the lighthouse, the cooking school, the paparazzi. It is Atlantic City. Disclosure http://cmp.ly/3 – and thanks – to Spirit Airlines and Caesar’s Entertainment for the #ACGetaway girlfriends weekend away with Duong Sheahan and MJ Tam of Chicagonista.com. Check out MJ’s video at the end of this post and please share your Atlantic City travel tips or questions in the comment box.

It’s been years since I visited Altantic City, New Jersey.

My first and only trip was as a sales trainer for Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans. George, the rep assigned to show me around, insisted we stop in at the casinos. My dim memories were of a bright place at night that wasn’t too compelling.

I mean, if you didn’t gamble what was there to do?

Walk the beach? I could do that back home in Chicago.

So when the offer came in to fly away for a girlfriends weekend, I erased my former memory files and eagerly said yes. After all, most of my friends would be away at South by Southwest Interactive in Austin. I wanted to get away, too.

Duong and I met up at BlogWorld last fall and MJ is a regular on the Chicago social media scene. We’re all moms who blog and love social media. MJ was our video producer and Duong is a fellow photographer whose talent inspires me. Both MJ and Duong are hosts on Chicagonista Live! We missed being with the other two Chicagonista Live! hosts, Beth Rosen and Nancy Loo.

Besides, absolutely everyone I told about this trip was envious. It seemed like everybody wanted to go to Atlantic City. So, naturally, I had to go for all of us.

All of a sudden, “visit Atlantic City” was a priority on my friends must visit vacation spots – even though most of them had never been there.

And so I boarded one of Spirit Airlines’ first round-trip flights from Chicago to Atlantic City.

Known as an ultra low cost carrier, Spirit is the only airline that flies directly from O’Hare into Atlantic City. Airfare is very competitive, especially when you factor in rental car savings. But, you will have to pay to take your bags.

We landed in Atlantic City on a springy rainy night.

When our limo dropped us off and we walked into Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City New Jersey , I’ll admit that I had mixed emotions. After spending a week in Las Vegas in January at the Consumer Electronics Show and Affiliate Marketing Summit, I wanted my next destination to be more than a strip with a walk.

Since the purpose of our trip was to discover Atlantic City and bring back our experiences to Chicago, I quickly checked that reaction and switched over to an open and adventurous mindset. I don’t gamble; casinos are not an attraction for me.

Before joining our group for dinner, we checked into our gracious rooms. A tempting fruit and cheese plate greeted me. With only 10 minutes to spare, I hastily sampled every cheese on it and ran downstairs to meet up with our hosts at Mc Cormick and Schmick’s at Harrah’s in Atlantic City.

Reading the wine list, I realized I’d already tasted my way through it in other restaurants and settled in on a familiar Australian Shiraz. We started with the chill platter, an artistic display of fresh, chilled seafood capped off by a jaunty lobster head that reminded me that I am a lobster lover. Thanks to Jerry of Caesars Entertainment for menu recommendations for orienting us to the area.

If you continually crave oysters, Atlantic City will be your nirvana.

Try the mignon sauce with these freshly shucked beauties. For my main course, I selected a trio of Hawaiian fish and wish I would’ve taken notes about the recipes. But, since these was a dish of  the day, something else equally as delicious will be on the menu when you go there. We split three different desserts, including crème brulee, for dessert.

On Friday we met up with Jenn and Lauren of DKC and rode over to shops at the pier where we met up with Katie of Caesars Entertainment at Budakkan. We sampled a feast of favorites, including a stacked tempura appetizer, duck breast with salad, wasabi coated filet mignon, edamame ravioli and lobster fried rice.

After lunch, Duong and I wandered through The Pier Shops at Caesars while MJ waited in a short line for a new iPad at the Apple Store. Kind of a mix between a luxury mall and a casual resort shopping galleria, Burberry, Michael Kors and MAC stood out as must-stops on an afternoon shopping spree.

Atlantic City:  A PR Perspective

Jenn and Laurn from DKC in New York organized the trip up and stayed with us the entire weekend to answer questions and enjoy the experience along with us. They also set up interviews and introductions to people like Jerry and Katie from Ceasar’s Entertainment who filled us in on behind the scenes information, including where many of the Boardwalk Empire parties took place. From a PR perspective, I was impressed by the way Atlantic City works together to promote events. Each property’s PR rep contributes to a team effort, which makes for a stronger and unified

Climbing Back Up into History

Wanting to step back into time after hearing so many stories about the history of Atlantic City, after lunch we took a cab to Absecon Lighthouse. Climbing the 228 spiral stairs to get to the top may be a challenge, but the lighting on the stairwell is well worth a short climb. If you’re looking for a lighthouse on a point, you’ll be disappointed. At the corner of Pacific and Rhode Island Avenues, this one is in town. It’s worth seeing and is a five minute cab ride from Caesar’s. The Lighthouse keeper will call a cab to take you back.

We regrouped at the Viking Cooking School at Harrah’s Resort for a class in Food and Wine Pairing: Napa Valley Style.

Take a look at this menu: Artisanal California Chèvre with Fresh Herbs on Olive Oil Crostini with Sauvignon Blanc, Pan-Seared Sea Scallops with Lemon Brown Butter with Chardonnay, Wild Mushrooms a la Bourguignon with Pinot Noir, Roasted Rack of Lamb with Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon and Phyllo Chess Tartlets with Napa Valley Sparkling Wine. Yummy right?

Since this was only a “tasting,” we went on to a follow up tasting at The Steakhouse at Harrah’s Restaurant where we sampled raw oysters [this could become a habit] crab and asparagus soup, heirloom tomato salad and a sushi roll that came garnished with an orchid.

On the way back, we passed one of the many live band performing. As full as I was, I wanted to dance, but we had an early wake up call to get to Qua Spa the next morning.

Thermal Baths and Aromatherapy

To get to Qua Spa at Caesar’s you walk down long neutral corridors that cleanse all the casino sound and clutter from your mind. By the time you arrive at the spa entrance, you’re ready to relax. Janet, my masseuse greeted me and told me about the St. Patrick’s Day parade on the boardwalk, which put me in a blissful mood.

The massage rooms are gracious and warm. Settling onto the heated bed released the tension in my back. My classic massage included aromatherapy in the form of a hand and foot scrub. Janet smoothed the scrub on. A warm heated towel refreshed my skin.

When the massage was over, I wanted to melt into the table, but from the looks of the dressing room someone else was waiting right behind me to enjoy this sublime experience. I hopped up and changed into my swimming suit before sinking into the Roman bath’s tepid pool. After soaking for a few minutes, I dipped into the hot pool and then popped into the cold pool for a few seconds as a final refresher. Feeling rejuvenated and revitalized, we were ready for a sushi lunch at Souzai Sushi where we  indulged in a lavendar Lychee Nut martini.

The Scientist and the Chef

With all afternoon to relax, we had plenty of time to get ready for dinner at The Foundation Room in the House of Blues prepared by Chef Ramsey. We started with white truffle pop rocks. In an interview with AC Restaurant Week, House of Blues Foundation Room Chef Ramsey said he’s into, ” . . . molecular Gastronomy: spherification (turning any liquid to a caviar shade sphere) foams and air. We make a passion fruit foam that is served over our oysters and crab cakes. I make ice cream and sorbet table side with liquid nitrogen. Powders! We make Nutella powder and herb oil powder to name a few. We make our own pop rocks! I feature white truffle pop rocks and bacon pop rocks.”

Grilled shrimp and pesto scallops arrived in front of me, halibut landed in front of everyone else and we shared a plate of elk with black truffle risotto. Chef Ramsey  made ice cream table side with liquid nitrogen in a bowl that costs $3,000. Watching the ice cream solidify through the fog was a mesmerizing experience.

90 Seconds of Fame

After lounging in the Foundation Room and venturing out onto the upper level seaside veranda, we rode back to the hotel where we waited to meet Giuliana Rancic, host of E! News. Standing alongside Giuliana on the step and turn Hollywood carpet was an experience I’ll never forget. Not only was I standing next to a real star who seemed genuinely interested in our trio, there were hundreds of flashbulbs capturing our every move. That’s why I look so dazed/dazzled? in the pictures.

At the Pool After Dark

After our photo opp, we headed into Pool After Dark, one of the top nightclubs in the country. Voted Megaclub of the Year by Bar and Nightclub Magazine, this is one spectacular place to see and be seen. Set under an atrium, a loft looks down at private cabanas rimming an indoor pool. Guests gather poolside and some even go in for a toe dip. Music pumps out of a wall of speakers and keeps the crowd rockin’ while a light show on Harrah’s façade beams in through the night. All in all, a stellar experience, especially if you like to dance the night away.

On Sunday morning, we rode our limo one last time past local landmark White House Sub Shop back to Caesar’s for brunch at Nero’s Grill at Caesars where you can indulge in whatever suits your tastes at the moment. With a view of the waterfront from an upper level, we watched the waves beckon us to go in. Taking the circular elevator downstairs – I just had to do that! – we ended up right by the doors to the pier.

Although it was a cool and breezy March day, MJ and I wandered down to the ocean. I put my fingers, not my toes, in the water and made a wish that someday soon I’d be back in Atlantic City – on the real Jersey Shore.

Atlantic City Travel Guide

With the theme “Always Turned On,” Atlantic City is less than a day’s drive from 1/3 of the U.S. population.
One message I took away to bring back is: Atlantic City wants Chicagoans to come out for a visit like Jimmy did on Boardwalk Empire.

Atlantic City Beach and Boardwalk

There’s something about the sea. Whenever we travel on vacation and we’re near the ocean, I have to walk on the sand and touch the water. I last touched the Atlantic in 2007. On Saturday, the wind was so forceful that we couldn’t come up with the courage to get to the waterfront. Besides, we were wearing spa clothes, not spring jackets. On Sunday, the winds were calmer and the sun was out. MJ and I ran down to the seashore to take a video. “I kind of want to go in,” is the last line. Yep, that was me. And if we didn’t have to get on a plane in a few hours, I probably would have. You can walk the boardwalk, ride in a rolling chair, stroll the beach or catch the waves.

Atlantic City Dining

You can visit over and over and over again and be continually impressed by the caliber of the Atlantic City chefs. Properties attract top talent and city-wide competitions keep the chefs creative and build community admiration. This is a town committed to cuisine. And, I love that.

Remember, New Jersey is the Garden State. With fresh vegetables and  fresh seafood what’s not to like? We visited these restaurants.

Mc Cormick and Schmick’s at Harrah’s in Atlantic City.

Buddakan Atlantic City

Viking Cooking School at Harrah’s Resort

The Steakhouse at Harrah’s Restaurant

Souzai Sushi

Nero’s Grill at Caesars

The Foundation Room in the House of Blues

Atlantic City Shopping

We browsed through The Pier Shops at Caesars, an over-the-ocean $175 million facility featuring 575,000 square feet of entertainment, premium restaurants and exclusive retail shops.

Bargain shoppers would enjoy Atlantic City Outlets – The Walk, a $76 million, 320,000-square-foot, multi-block retail outlet, dining and entertainment venue with upscale retailers and downsized prices. Because we were pressed for time, we didn’t visit the outlets, but I know my husband’s first stop would be the Nike Outlet.

Atlantic City Lodging

Caesars Entertainment offers several hotel options, each at a different price point and theme.

Caesars Atlantic City is the higher-end option and is right on the boardwalk.

Located a short ride away from the boardwalk, Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City was our home. Inside Harrah’s you’ll find shops, The Pool After Dark, the Viking Cooking School and several fine restaurants.

Showboat Atlantic City, where Bourbon Street meets the Boardwalk, is a Mardi Gras themed hotel. House of Blues and the Foundation Room is on this property.

Bally’s Atlantic City is a value priced property and home of the Wild Wild West Casino, which appeals to a younger crowd.

Each property offers special rates online, some as low as $55 per night.

ACGetaway MJ Tam, Duong Sheahan, Barbara Rozgonyi in Atlantic City

Read MJ Tam’s Atlantic City Getaway coverage on Chicagonista.com. Special thanks to Beth Rosen for inviting me to go on this trip.

Image Credit: Thanks to MJ Tam for taking this picture and to Phoebe Svoboda for insisting that I wear this “Tiger Blood” coat in Atlantic City. I have to say this is one of favorite fashion finds. Label: Ralph Lauren.

Have you been to Atlantic City? Please share your travel tips with us!

“That was a great post. I can tell you spent lots of time on it.” – recent comment
Well, not as much time as you think and I have Yubby to thank for that.

Back at BlogWorld in Las Vegas, I met Vincent from Yubby [and Amsterdam!] as he and Daniel Honigman were exchanging contact information by bumping their iPhones. After I took this picture, I asked Vincent to do a video about how Yubby works. We used Vincent’s camera microphone. He then uploaded the video to my Macbook and it took me awhile to upload it to YouTube. Here it is . . . .

Although it took me a little longer than I’d like to upload the video, I started using Yubby and set up a KA review channel almost right away. And, everyone who checked out BlogWorld Expo’s site, saw Yubby in action. One person told me that the Yubby videos on the BlogWorld speaker page were the reason they came to BlogWorld.

How do you use Yubby?
1. Sign up
2. Create a channel
3. Search videos
4. Drag icons into your channel
5. Choose a style
6. Grad the embed code
7. Publish

Total time to publish a channel: as little as one minute. Here’s the BlogWorld Expo Yubby channel.

Tip: search for your name or keywords and see what comes back from 30 different video sources. Then, create, publish and promote your video marketing channels.

How do you use video in your marketing?

Disclosure: BlogWorld Expo provided complimentary registration to members of the media.

Note: This post contains dramatic videos – plan to stay for awhile.

My trip to KÀ began with a brief email exchange . . .

ME: Thanks so much for making this offer. Last year I found out about it a few hours too late. I’ve never seen a show in Vegas, but I love theater, magic, dance and drama. Thanks for letting me know what is open.
JESSICA BERLIN [Cirque Du Soleil]: Thanks for your email. Hmm….if you like theater and drama I think we should put you in to see KA. There is a 7 and 9:30 p.m. show. Which do you prefer? Also, will you be bringing a guest? Let me know and I will arrange the tickets for you.

And, that’s how I got my first theatrical review assignment. [No photography is allowed; image copied from KÀ site.]

Disclosure: Cirque du Soleil provided two free tickets in exchange for a review to BlogWorld New Media Expo attendees like me.

This is my first review of any type. Why did I accept the tickets?

1. Although this was my fourth trip to Las Vegas, I’d never taken the time to see a show.
2. I love theater and have always wanted to write a review.
3. This is the kind of freebie I can’t pass up!
4. I wanted to pass on this promotion strategy to my readers: who can you invite to your event that can cover it for you?

Wondering how Cirque Du Soleil manages social media? [via Lee Odden and Online Marketing Blog]

Thanks to Marcia Hansen from Allstate for taking me up on my offer of a free ticket. We met up at the theater at MGM, got in line and walked into a huge auditorium theater. My first thought? What a HUGE venue! [One source I saw tagged the production's cost at $150 million.]

KÀ Production Facts

~ Every seat in the KÀ theatre has speakers built into the headrest for customized sound effects.
~ The video projections in KÀ are an intricate mix of computer-generated effects and human input that turn the performance space into a cinema screen.
~ Approximately 1,300 hours went into the making of each of the human-sized crab puppets.
~ There are 160 harnesses (of 21 different kinds) worn by the KÀ performers.
~ The Spearmen’s shoes are created to look like they are barefoot, with molded rubber toes affixed to a shoe base.
~ For the beach scene, the sand is created using 350 cubic feet of granular cork from Portugal.

Greeters, dressed like KÀ characters, showed us our seats. One had a bright red wig.
I said: I like your hair.
She said: Thanks! I just put it on tonight!

Settling into our seats, we watched the fireballs bursting from the stage.

Having no idea what to expect – after all, this was my first Cirque du Soliel experience, I interviewed Marcia and a new friend we made, Sharon Miller from Qube Global Software, about what to expect. I asked if I could video their review after the show. They said yes – here it is:

My review?

This is a show that blows your mind. To get ready, I watched KÀ’s trailer, but that didn’t prepare me for the live experience.

For me, the show was imaginative beyond belief.

My favorite elements:
• Costumes – there’s something about costumes that draws me to theater. I love seeing how characters play out in the clothing, shoes, hair and makeup.
• Batons – yes, batons. After going to Purdue and watching the All American Marching Band’s post band-camp show, I thought I’d seen every style of baton twirling, but this was different: elegant, smooth, enchanting [maybe the music had something to do with it.]
• Shadow play – enchanting and childlike, two characters and four hands together put on a play within a play
• Acrobatics – known for seemingly impossible moves, this show boasts aerial, wheel and well, multiple, demonstrations of amazing feats that had me holding my breath until the act was over
• Music – bold, dramatic and showy, the music underscored the story line
• Hydraulic Wall – think about a plane that moves from level to angled with people on it and add in a chase scene with spikes – got it?
• Pit – from fire to smoke coming up to people going down, the pit holds a place as a character all its own
• Staging – columns ring the stage as centers for drumming and more aerobatics, archers poised on railings before they rushed the stage, which gave me a close look at the costumes – the slippers had rubber toes
• Pictures – before the show Aurora took pictures of Marcia and me – very nice, but at $44 not a must-buy

This show is not for people who: scare easily, don’t like loud noises, need a story line with dialogue, like literal drama or musicals and fear indoor fire and fireworks. A friend told me she likes to watch Cirque du Soleil clips; a few minutes is enough for her.

Hint: Take the Get Cirqued Quiz to see which Cirque Du Soleil show you’re in the mood for.

Would I go back? Absolutely and next time I’d take my family with me. KÀ is the pinnacle of a theater experience. I can’t wait to tell our high school theater department about it.

Have you seen KÀ? What did you think? How can you compare your business performance to Cirque Du Soleil?

BlogWord Expo’s Friday opening keynote speaker, Leo Laporte covered the future of new media publishing tools.

This post is dedicated to Robyn Tippens [link with photo of Robyn Tippens presenting Leo Laporte with his Weblog Best Podcast Award] of MyBlogLog, whose enthusiasm for this presentation motivated me to get up, get going and get started early on Friday.

Read Leo Laporte’s BlogWorld recap

Anil Dash of Six Apart introduced Leo La Porte, host of The Tech Guy radio show, as a person who combines the voice of authority and the voice of approachability. He’s somebody who gets it and also cares that other people get it, too.

Notes from Leo’s presentation . . .

For the last few years, his audiences have been full of technology people, now they’re full of real people. He opened with Bob Dylan’s lyrics.

Something’s happening here but you don’t know what it is, do you Mister Jones? Bob Dylan

We don’t really know what’s going on here. The other Mr. Jones is the rest of the world, the vast majority of the world who doesn’t know what new media is. Those are the people we want to bring into the fold with blogging, podcasting and video. In the new medium of the Internet, radio/audio/twittering/, the thing that’s constant is the Internet itself.

Leo’s blogged for 6 years. He loves blogging, but he’s not a great blogger [that's what he says]. What he really is is a podcaster, which is not a great word. The name is dead. The medium is vital and alive.

As a mainstream broadcaster, he does a TV show and has since 1992. Since 1991, he’s talked about technology exclusively. We’re changing the world.

He started putting his radio show on the Internet in 2001, doing Internet and chat rooms. Leo started putting audio on in 2004 when a 14-year-old kid called and told him about podcasting.

“This Week in Tech” came out in 2004 – a roundtable of people talking about technology. What’s new, what’s different, what’s exciting, really the premise for it. Now he does a dozen different podcasts.

Network reach is 470,000 people per month. It’s a big network and he’s always made more by asking for donations – getting $10K per month. Two terabytes/day ad agency is Podtrac. Will do twice that this year. Grows 50% each year for awhile.

The whole thing is done by two people. He rents a room in an old cottage. This is literally a cottage business. Uses skype for phone calls. The agency takes 25%, 25% goes to operating expenses, when there is revenue, everyone on the call shares the revenue.

Having a community is really important. In fact, it’s everything.

Book suggestion – download/read: "The Wealth of Networks" by Benkler

Old media, industrial media, is the distinction he makes with new media. In the old days, if you wanted to have a voice, you had to have a lot of money. Today, the mainstream media isn’t good in describing what’s important. We’re now in a revolutionary state. All you need is a computer to have a voice. There are 1 million people worldwide, which has completely changed everything. One-fourth of Leo’s listeners are outside of the US. He takes 25% off of the numbers for advertisers who only want to pay for US listeners. It’s global, cheap to do, and everyone can have a voice. It’s no longer a one-way conversation.

Bloggers and podcasters know it’s about the 2-way conversation. If the greatest aspiration people have is to be on CNN – don’t follow the old model. We can do anything we want to do now.

Tumblogs – takes a generation or two, has to be people who grew up with the new media.

It’s really going to be something completely different and new. You could lifestream, you could have a camera on your head, the more we can try new forms, that’s really exciting.

It’s about interacting with the audience, we’re moving from monologue to dialogue. The best thing about coming to a conference like this is we’re with other like-minded people participating in this brand new thing.

We’re in the inner circle creating something new. We want to expand it and convert the world and undermine the old media. Think of new ways to use your blog. Comment on other people’s blogs. The opportunity is to try to mix the media.

Different kinds of media and what they’re good for. . .

The Video Grunt, teaches you how to do video on the Internet.

We’ll be talking about writing audio and video and what each does. If you can access the next level of technology, with Utterz and Ustream

Why should you do this?

Writing is very rational and very cerebral. Very frontal lobe and it’s a great way to structure your ideas.

Video is very monkey mind, in his opinion. TV needs to appeal to your monkey mind. It doesn’t need to be rational and cerebral. It’s about emotion. The French Maid’s podcast. [viewer discretion advised]. The more different emotions you can stimulate, the more successful you’ll be: terror, fear, joy, anger, etc.

Audio is intimate. You’re in their ear. This goes back to the primordial mind. Did people begin to believe in God, because primitive man heard voices in his head? Rational, cerebral and very good at abstract concepts, audio is about speaking to someone directly and it’s really good for conversation.

When you write a blog, you stimulate a conversation. Look at the comments on YouTube. They’re moronic. Most of them are actually dialogue.

Your personality is the forefront of the blog, the author takes a little bit of a backseat. In podcasting the personality comes to the forefront.

Put a face with a name, you know who that is. Probably on a scale. As a blogger, if you would like to promote who your are in the sense of who you are, do a little video and audio. Say, “I will be live chatting and talking with you Thursday at 9:00.”

There is value with all form of media and mixing them has value to you.

Podcasting is in the software slump. Hit the wall after three years. There’s a ceiling here somewhere. When you talk to a podcaster, they might inflate the numbers. Everybody seems to have topped out. Reached the limit of technology, we’re not getting to the next group.

Have to drop the podcast part. Think of yourself as creating content. Podcast confuses people. If bloggers created more content, that would help. Make it more accessible and easier. You don’t have to go to iTunes to get it. Microsoft has software to download.

Podcast and video is so great. There’s this huge range of content. There’s a different sense when you’re in a community. Somebody doing a podcast is right there with you. People stare at TV personalities because they’re used to seeing them in a box. When you meet someone who’s listened to you, they’ve made a connection with you.

Read the book, “Linked: The New Science of Networks.” The Long Tail turns out to be true in almost every network. Hollywood actors, the cell. Interesting thing – when we scale free networks and zoom in on a fractal – we are each our own solar system. Really valuable to remember that.

If you do a blog about woodworking, your goal is to be the hub for woodworking, not the woodworking guy on CNN. The truth is, we’re all hubs in our own little world. If you’re looking for a job and you ask all your best friends you have a 50% chance versus asking an acquaintance. We are in the network topology and we have connectors from hub to hub. If you want to be successful, you have to branch out. It comes back down to – and science proves it – it’s about not monologue, but dialogue.

Old media is dead and dying. In 20 years, watching someone talk to you on TV will seem like a silent film. You’ve got to have a dialogue.

Leo launched a couple of new podcasts: parenting in the digital age and junk food. Most podcasts don’t have an arc: beginning, middle and end. Launching a reality show featuring Roz Savage. A rower, writer, speaker and blogger, Roz went across the Atlantic with a satellite phone and a PDA. The reality show will meet her and then they’ll talk to her as she rows across the Pacific. Get interested in trying different things within the podcast format.

Create new formats – and let’s reach out and talk to each other.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What’s your take?

Browse Wired PR Work’s BlogWorld Expo 2007 collection.

One in a series of lightly edited transcripts or comments by Barbara Rozgonyi.

Here’s the latest from Marketing Transformations Network News, an ongoing series of marketing and PR tools published for an international audience by CoryWest Media, LLC.

Beginning Blogging . . .

Answering Your Frequently Asked Questions

by Barbara Rozgonyi, founder of CoryWest Media

To request permission to reproduce or republish this article,

contact connect AT corywestmedia DOT com.

Thinking about becoming a blogger? In this article, you’ll learn the answers to frequently asked questions about beginning blogging.

What is a blog?

According to marketingterms.com, a blog is a frequent, chronological publication of personal thoughts and Web links.

How does a blog differ from a Website?

Similarities: each has a domain name, design and navigation

Differences: Websites stay static, blogs allow for frequent updating

Which is better for Search Engine Optimization: a blog or a Website?

Because Google loves fresh content, a frequently updated blog will get better search engine results than a static Website.

How can I optimize my blog with keywords?

Blogs offer many ways to use keywords: post titles, categories, body copy of the post, anchor links and image tags.

What is Technorati?

Technorati is a site that ranks and reports blog statistics. You can claim your blog and then set up your favorite blogs to watch.

What is RSS?

RSS, Really Simple Syndication, is a delivery service. If you have a Google or Yahoo! account, you have RSS. When you see a blog you like, click on the RSS symbol and every new post will be delivered automatically to your reader. It’s like having the newspaper delivered to your driveway every day. You don’t have to go out and get it, it comes to you. To check out my blog’s feed, go to http://wiredprworks-barbararozgonyi.com/feed.

What if I’m Terrified of Technology?

If you can send email, write a Word document or dial a phone, you can publish a blog post.

What if I have no budget for new marketing?

You can host a free blog and consolidate many of your marketing initiatives.

What if I’m not a writer?

Not to worry. When you comment on the headlines, you post compelling news even if you didn’t make it.

What if I have no time for anything new?

Blogging can actually save you time. Reader search results let you know what products or services to focus on.

About the author . . .

An in-demand publicist, professional speaker and marketing communications consultant since 1990, Barbara Rozgonyi is grounded, edgy and prophetic. “Panoramic PR,” Barbara’s latest project, compresses everything she knows into an affordable, manageable course that teaches small business owners, entrepreneurs, authors, experts, coaches and anyone else who wants more free publicity how to get completely covered by being fully exposed. Claim a free report and get automatic articles like this one at http://www.powerprsecrets.com.