Are you are a blogaholic? Read this post by Jonathan Deamer to find out…
http://jonathandeamer.com/2007/06/10/50-signs-you-blog-too-much/

What is microblogging?

Like traditional blogging, microblogging is a form of communicating with people who share a common interest. However, a microblog’s posts are much shorter, and are generally more personal.

A microblog post might let people know what you’re currently doing, what projects you’re working on, or what you have planned for tomorrow.

Microblog benefits

Traditional blogs are great because there’s virtually no limit to what you can talk about, and unlike printed material, there’s no restriction on length of content. However, because of the length of most blog postings, many bloggers don’t have the ability to deliver high-quality content day in and day out. They may write three posts a week, but sometimes readers want more.

A microblog allows your readers to stay connected to you because the posts can be read in a few seconds. These abbreviated posts will keep people interested in what you have to say between your longer, regular postings.

Another big advantage to microblogging is in the delivery of content. While most people still read blogs on the computer, more and more people are getting content via their cell phones and PDAs. These devices, while handy, aren’t set up for reading lengthy articles and blog posts because of their small screens, which make the microblog post even more attractive for readers.

You’ve no doubt heard about social networking by now. Sites like Facebook and Myspace have exploded onto the web, and have enticed millions of people to sign up. These sites are great for fostering communities and helping people stay in contact with one another. Microblogging takes the basic idea of social networking and strips it down to its core component - communication.

In addition, from a marketing standpoint, developing a relationship with your potential customers is vital to building trust (and sales.) Microblog posts will help keep people in touch with what you’re up to, allow them to interact with you, and build a community.

How do you do it?

Use one of the popular microblogging sites available online. The most popular site right now is Twitter. Twitter accounts are free, and are gaining in popularity. With Twitter, you won’t have to worry about being too wordy because you’re given a character limit that you can’t exceed. While some may see this as a hindrance, it’s actually very beneficial because it forces you to boil your post down to the most important point. You can also post links to your articles, blogs etc.

Another aspect of Twitter (and sites like it) is that it allows plenty of customization. You can set up your Twitter page to resemble your main website, which is a great idea if you’re trying to build brand recognition. There are also plenty of widgets (tiny applications) that you can run on your website that will display your most recent Twitter posts so readers won’t have to log into Twitter’s main page every time they want to read what you’re up to.

And, just like a blog, people can subscribe to your microblog’s feed and follow it like they would your primary blog.

If you’re finding that blogging has lost a bit of its luster, try setting up a microblog; it’s easy, it’s fun and the community you build can lead to increased traffic to your main site.

Having a sitemap may seem redundant at first, but a well-constructed sitemap can be a tremendous benefit to your readers, and your return traffic.

What is a sitemap?
A sitemap performs the same basic function that an outline performs for printed material. It gives the reader, or visitor, an overview of the pages contained within the rest of the site. Sitemaps for small websites can include every page the site has to offer, while maps of larger websites may only include the major categories and subcategories.

Navigation purposes
While your website’s navigation should already be optimized for easy use, a sitemap is beneficial for people who get lost and can’t find their way back to a particular page. Having the sitemap ensures that there’s a way for the reader to get where they’re going, which makes it more likely that they’ll spend more time at your site, instead of navigating away out of frustration.

Convey your site’s theme
When a visitor loads up your sitemap they can quickly get an overview of what your site has to offer without having to read through each page. Web surfers typically want information “right now” so any time you can save them is a bonus for you.

Site optimization purposes
Your sitemap typically exists on its own page, and contains links to every other page on your website. When search bots hit the sitemap page they’re able to index every page on your site by following the links. It can also help boost your ranking in the search engines if you’re using relevant keywords in the links on your sitemap. Also, remember to put a prominent link to your sitemap right on your front page to assist the search engines.

Organization and relevance
A sitemap also makes it easier for you to add content or new sections because you can look at an overview of your site’s structure and determine what changes you want to make. The end result is that you’ll have a perfectly organized site with everything according to its relevance.

There’s really no downside to having a sitemap, and if you have a particularly large website, it should be considered mandatory.