Let's get this party started; the Engines are ready to rev it up! NASCAR is in full swing now, which means it's time to get the grills out and the campers ready. Why is this year going to offer more than last season? What's in store for NASCAR fans? This year should be a memorable one for enthusiasts across the nation as drivers compete for the Nextel Cup.
This is the second year NASCAR is using a new point system, which allows drivers to position themselves for a final push down the stretch. Last year, due to the new point system many of NASCAR's top drivers were left out of the point chase, but with a year under their belts, more drivers will know what it takes to win the Cup. Considering that only the top-ten drivers have a chance at the Nextel Cup, there's not much room for error. Drivers have to make sure each race counts in order to ensure they are not left in the infield at the end of the season.
Most of the drivers and fans are unsure if they like the new point system; year two will give them a better idea of its strengths and weaknesses. If the drivers and the fans continue to complain about the new format, NASCAR may be forced to make some changes in the way it awards the Cup. The new format was supposed to make things more interesting, and although some thought it did there are still those that like the old system better.
NASCAR fans should enjoy an excellent year in 2006 as most tracks aim to become friendlier for attendees. Many of the tracks around the country are adding extra events to get people more involved. One thing the racing organization is attempting to do is make drivers and their crews more accessible to the general public.
NASCAR has also accelerated a more family oriented atmosphere and has more events that everyone can enjoy. In the early years, stockcar racing was seen as a redneck sport and a place to drink beer. But with the continuing growth in popularity, NASCAR executives have identified a more diverse demographic to capture. NASCAR fans include your average working people, business executives, doctors, lawyers, and just about any other profession of which you can think.
As NASCAR continues to grow, the demand for tracks will also increase. Smaller venues are what NASCAR was found on, but it is hard to ignore the calling of big markets and the money they bring to the table. If the smaller markets are not able to capitalize on what they have, they run the risk of losing one or all of their races to bigger cities. Hopefully NASCAR will not forget its roots and continue to be loyal to the communities that helped build the sport and its popularity.
There have already been instances where a smaller market has lost one of its races to a bigger one. If the sport continues to grow, it will be hard to tell the larger markets "no," because they offer the chance to make more money and gain even greater exposure. NASCAR may have to look at expanding the season to satisfy the increasing demand for races. This is a good problem to have and it is doubtful that you will hear one NASCAR executive complaining about it.
If all goes well, NASCAR will continue to grow into a bigger sport and bigger business. The road is wide open for this sport, because NASCAR is constantly tapping into new markets. As long as NASCAR is able to keep the fans happy, it will continue to grow. Thus far, NASCAR seems to have run the popularity race with aplomb; let's see if they can keep it up without any unnecessary pit stops.
Lets Get The Party Started
So what is blogging really all about? First off, let me tell you that it's a lucrative business to blog and that blogs are easy to set up and manage. Imagine getting paid to write about subjects that interest you, whenever you want, wherever you are! The flexibility involved allows you to maintain your blog at your own pace, and with Internet caf's easily accessible all over the globe, even your vacation won't get in the way of your blogging... Or should I say: even your blogging won't get in the way of your vacation?
In this article, let's take a look at the profitability of a blog and set up one of our own, free of charge! Interested? Read on!
First, you need to get yourself a blog. There are several options ? host a blog on your own domain or get a free one. For starters, let's talk about the free blogs. You can obtain one at http://www.blogger.com or the newer (and better!) http://www.wordpress.com. WordPress is a free blog engine that is robust and infinitely expandable.
Blogger is actually owned by Google, so it will be detected by Google's radar faster and you will be indexed more quickly. WordPress.com, however, is a relatively new option so I have no comparison on the speed of getting indexed by search engines. However, WordPress is better in the sense that it has more advanced features such as Trackbacks and Categories. You can also manage your sidebar links more efficiently (more about this later).
Get a free blog at either Blogger or WordPress. Then, familiarize yourself by publishing your first post on your blog and tinkering around with the options and templates.
Here are some words to start expanding your blogging vocabulary:
Permalink ? Permalink stands for permanent link, which is a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) that leads to an individual post that you make in your blog.
Trackback ? When you post about someone else's blog post elsewhere, your post will show up in their ?trackback? section. This feature, however, is not available with a Blogger account.
Pinging ? Blogging seems to be paired with pinging almost every time either one is mentioned nowadays. Pinging is actually the action where a certain aggregator is notified whenever your blog is updated, so that the aggregator may show the newest post of your blog on their website. This is a useful way to gain traffic, which I'll discuss in a future article.
Content
Next, let's look at the type of content that's suitable for your blog in order to make it profitable. You need to understand that there is no fixed scope that your blog should have, which means you can write about whatever you're interested in. Mind you, the difference between a profitable blog and a non-profitable one is the way you write. What would you prefer: reading your university professor's lecture notes or the latest novel by your favorite author? People prefer to read "light" items most of the time. When they check out your blog, they are not only looking for information, but they are also looking for information that they can access easily.
So, to attract more visitors as well as to keep your current readers coming back for more, it's very important to add a personal touch to your blog posts. This can be done by simply imagining that you're talking with your personal friend. An extra bonus for your readers would be a great sense of humor, so try to add funny comments in your articles where relevant.
Another important point is to avoid addressing your reader as a plural unit. Don't write as if you're preparing a speech. Instead, write as if you're having a conversation with a single person, an equal friend, because this will make your reader relate to you more easily.
Besides that, it's also very useful to establish your own personality through your words. We're very curious creatures, so naturally your visitors would want to know as much about you as the information you're offering them.
Having a distinctive personality in your blog will make a world of difference between your blog about gadgets and all the other blogs about gadgets out there. This is a lot like creating your own brand name, where people immediately remember your blog's name when they need information about gadgets, just like how people immediately think of McDonald's for fastfood or Nike for sportswear.
There will be more on the subject of content the next time.
When word gets around about your command of blogging, others who need to know about blogging will start to actively seek you out!
Both Susan Alvis & Chonticha Marijne are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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