Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Why You Should Become An Official Indianapolis Blogger

Do I really need to make this post? I mean, seriously? Can't you just look around and see how awesome we are? Don't you want to be a part of something special? Okay, honestly though, here's what being an Indianapolis Blogger can do for you and your blog:

GETTING THAT WARM FUZZY FEELING FROM DOING SOMETHING GOOD

Are you tired of people thinking Indianapolis is just some podunk town in the middle of a cornfield? I mean, maybe that's true, but it's our podunk town and there's lots to love about it. By becoming an Indianapolis Blogger, you can help give the world a better idea of what's really going on here at the crossroads of America. Honestly, you'll be doing a service to this city and all the residents who live here. And that should make you feel warm and fuzzy inside.

FREE STUFF!!

Who doesn't like free? We frequently get freebies from event promoters in the Indianapolis area. They have an event and want to spread the word; you have a blog and can help spread it. The tickets for these events are often limited and first dibs will always go to Indianapolis Bloggers. Active Members will receive an email whenever there is an opportunity to go to an event. You can also subscribe to our feed to get updates on any posts made concerning the events.


TRAFFIC

We're no experts on SEO or anything like that. All we know is that if someone is looking for a blog from Indianapolis, they're going to end up here. Go ahead and do a Google search for Indianapolis blogs. Too lazy for that? Sigh, then just click here. Or try googling blogs from Indianapolis. Or basically any combination of blogging and Indianapolis. You will always end up here. Guess who benefits from that traffic? You do! There are four possible ways for traffic to be sent to your blog, directly from the Indianapolis Bloggers main page.

1) Indianapolis Bloggers List. This list is at the bottom of the site. Keep in mind that it will be posted on every page of this website. Once you are a member, a link to your blog will be added and pretty much cannot be removed. Unless you manage to really screw up and get kicked out.

2) Indianapolis Blogger Member "About Me" Post. When you become an Active Member, we will publish a post about your blog. This post is all yours to say whatever you want. Let us know about you or your blog. It will be your opportunity to send traffic to your blog, so be sure to think through what you want to say. Click here to see example posts, and remember that you can add pictures and video. Anything you want! Make it extra special.

3) Find a Random Indianapolis Blogger. There's a fun little link on the left sidebar called "Find a Random Indianapolis Blogger." Once you become an Active Member, your blog will get added to the list of blogs that will connect to that link. It's a crap shoot, but eventually somebody clicking that link will get to your blog. Go ahead and try it out! It's barrels of fun.

4) Recently Updated Blogs. Active Members will also have their blog added to the "Recently Updated Blogs" widget on the left sidebar. When that happens, every time you make a new post on your blog, a link to your post will pop up at the top of the list on this blog. It will show your blog name and the title of your post (be sure to come up with creative post titles!). So the more you blog, the better your odds of getting traffic from this site. If you abuse this system by spam posting to keep your blog at the top of the list, you will receive a stern warning from the approval overlords. Then your blog will be removed.

5) Word of Mouth. Have you ever been at a party and had a friend say, "Hey! Have you checked out that new blog about Jim from Indianapolis and his opinions on everything from movies to organic farming?" Well, we haven't either. But you never know....

MEETING OTHER INDIANAPOLIS BLOGGERS

We realize most people will join the Indianapolis Bloggers for the free stuff and the traffic. That's okay. But hopefully you'll take some time and get to know the bloggers you live with. There really are some great blogs out there that you'll probably never hear about outside of this little community. So do yourself a favor and click around and leave a few comments. Everybody loves to get comments. Be sure to come back here often to see who's new. Or better yet, just subscribe to our feed and get updates in your reader.

Thanks for taking the time to consider joining. We hope you do!

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