McCain Blogger Goodies

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Be Nice to Clinton Supporters

First off, my apologies to most of you who don't need a manners lesson. However, there is an odd dynamic that is particularly apparent online of Obama supporters being excedingly nasty to Clinton supporter. Obviously primaries create tension between candidates and supporters, yet the Obama/Clinton competition is making the McCain/Romney competition look like a tea party. Many Obama bloggers in particular have made exceeding nasty and crass about Clinton and her supporters creating a resentment that may or may not heal before the general election. McCain and McCain supporters have the potential to win over some votes simply based on decency and respect. Senator McCain's bipartisan work in the Senate and his long held stance against dirty campaigning, (such as being the only Republican to condemn the Swift Boat attacks against Senator Kerry) give him an opportunity with moderates, independents, and former Clinton supports. Certainly, I'm not suggesting that conservatives should suddenly become more liberal, simply be aware who is out in cyberspace.

*One comment I've seen on several blogs is that the implication by the media that Clinton supporters are uneducated or low-class is wearing very thin for many Clinton supporters.

Focus on a Target Group

Targetting a specific audience is often suggested when marketting a website or blog. This holds true for political blogs as well. If there is particular group that you belong to or viewpoint that you take, make it part of your blog. Whether it is a focus on your particular state, it is the viewpoint of a veteran, or a mother, or an independent voter that brings that unique quality to your site, it allows others in that group to relate to you better. Starting a social networking group and linking to it from your site can be a good way to create an additional feature for your readers. Facebook, MySpace, McCainNow, and John McCain 2008 all allow for users to start their own groups.

For some it may make sense to start a sister blog that focusses more specifically on that group that you belong to. Material can be shared between the two blogs or be targetted to the two different audiences. Campaigns similarly target voters in this way seeking to win 'the women's vote', 'the conservative vote', or 'the hispanic vote'. Bloggers focussing on these groups can help extend the reach of the campaign to these target key demographics.

Adsense for McCain Bloggers

Adsense is a simple advertising service for publishers that allows sites to host ads, and get paid when viewers click on them. This is not a get rich quick scheme, but Adsense can help defray hosting or other incidental costs. This is most effective for sites that have consistent traffic and are well networked, as there is a minimum payout level. These ads can be formatted to be as subtle or as loud as desired. There is a row of ads below this post and a box of ads on the right side menu about half way down. Google gives a number of format and style options. While clicking on ones own ads isn't kosher, clicking on the ads of a freind's site or another site is sort like giving the site/host a tip. If you use blogger.com then you already have a Google account and setting up an Adsense account is a fairly simple step that allows you to integrated ads right into your posts. For Word Press and other bloggers Adsense is also available. Creating an account though at Adsense is a fairly simple process that they lead you through.

Give A Friend A Link

The importance of linking is not only the traffic generated through that link, but links are a key element of how search engines determine the importance and ranking of a site. With a group of like the McCain/MV08 bloggers, it is simply beneficial to all involved to give another site in the network, your buddy, a friendly, or well-liked site a link. Here are some ways people like to link...

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The Quote: "The House of Representatives faces a historic choice next week when it votes on whether or not to pass the New GI Bill. This vote decides whether our nation will honor its newest generation of veterans and invest in the future of the men and women who have been serving in harm's way. We need your help." from Mad Irish Man's Conservative Consortium

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The Plug: Here a couple new blogs worth checking out...

McCain Independents focuses on Snator McCain's support among Independent voters.

Now Hampshire - New Hampshire news and politics.

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The Story: John McCain shows support from a wide range of groups including Blue Dog Democrats, Independent Voters, Jewish Voters, McCain Moms, Libertarian Voters, Rudy Supporters, Veteran Voters, and Asian American Voters making up a broad coalition of voters.

*Also and example of keyword links.

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Keyword Links: In it's simplest form these links use relevant keywords to link to sites or particular pages within a site. This can help a site/page win over particular keywords. They can be within the context of an article or simply as a random group of words as follows...

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Blog Entry Titles

The title of your blog posts can be an important factor in whether people find you through search engines. Remember to include search engine keywords in the titles of your posts. Whether your post dicusses health care, the economy, or foreign policy, posting with a short descriptive title can bring traffic your way. There is plenty of competition for keywords and search engine traffic so if your title is both unique and descriptive your chances at winning visitors increases. Think about what people may be looking for both now and in the future. For example, if you establish a link that targets the Novemer elections today that may bring you more traffic as November approaches than it will today, but it is still valuable traffic coming to your site.