There are many people who blog for some extra cash and there are many people that blog as a full time income. If you have a passion for a topic or love to write, then perhaps blogging is for you. In our "Blogging for Shekels" category we will look at successful bloggers, blogging software, and tips to help you earn some extra shekels by blogging. And yes, you can do this from Israel or virtually anywhere else in the world.

In our first post in this category we will post part of a post from one of the most well known and most successful bloggers in the world, John Chow. He published a post called "10 ways for a bloggers to stand out from the crowd" and it is well worth the read as well as the comments on the post. Below is the 12, but click HERE to read the whole post.

1: Treat Your Blog As Your Personal Online Fingerprint

Don’t worry about other blogs, worry about yourself. Every minute
spent fretting over what someone else is doing is sixty seconds your
not spending making your blog better. Your blog is your fingerprint,
inked with your style and ideas. Certainly, we want a well designed
blog, but be sure your blog isn’t a faded copy.

2: Look for Results, Not Answers

This point is extremely important if you plan to break free from the
herd. People love to pontificate about their success, but it’s only
their results that matter. If someone tells me I can get to A by doing
B and C, but they only saw A by going straight to D and F, it’s hard to
take them seriously. Keep your eyes peeled for the road to results, not
unproven theory.

3: Blog for Respect, Not Popularity

Popularity often follows respect. Popularity is by no means a bad
thing, but popularity alone won’t cover the mortgage. It is only from
the respect of your fellow bloggers that you can build a scaffolding
for success.

4: Let Your Personality Show

Which bloggers do you remember on any given day? The ones who let
their personalities show, or the ones who just blended into the
background of your day? Many bloggers,
or people in general, tend to say what they believe others want to here
rather than reveal the individuality of their own thought. This is
boring. No one remembers these bloggers and they will never stand out.
It’s that simple. (Of course we should always show respect for others,
but putting forth an honest perspective can take you places in life as
well as Blogopolis.)

5: Bring Forth Original Ideas

Take a post, any post, and do a Google search with the title. Read
the content. More than likely, you will see the same ideas bandied
about, time and time again. We’re tired of reading the same repetition.
People want fresh perspectives with original thought. Be that person
and you WILL stand out.

6: Address the A-listers In A Way Not Common To A Member of The Herd

The top bloggers are always being contacted by those at the base of
the totem pole. Most of these are card carrying members of the herd,
behaving like obsessed fans as they pine for the attention of their pro
blogger of choice. Naturally, this does nothing but turn off the
A-blogger in question. Never be afraid to seek connection with an
A-lister. Just be sure that when you do, you show a humble confidence;
respect for the blogger that leaves plenty of room for respect for
yourself.

7: Ensure Your Content Is ALWAYS Top Notch

This would seem like a no brainier, but with millions of posts
spread around Blogopolis like graffiti on Time Square, we are bombarded
by an abundance of content that falls well short of solid. Post out
quality content. Period.

8: Add Comments, Not Clutter

Here we go with the graffiti again. Commenting on another blog is a
kind of extension of your content. If you can leave only useful,
pertinent ideas, you will be ahead of 95% of the rest. If you have
nothing to say, say nothing.

9: Look The Part

There’s no getting around it – appearance (especially the first impression) is crucial. Everything from your avatar
to your entire blog design. Appear professional and you will be treated
as a professional. Even if your blog is lite and humorous, you can
still create an image of yourself and your blog that shows you are
serious.

10: Read THIS Blog

There are certainly many blogs out there that talk about blogging. I
can’t speak for them, but I CAN say that this particular blog, if you
read it on a regular basis, will make you stand out from the heard and
find your voice.