How to use social media websites (MySpace, Facebook, Digg, StumbleUpon) to promote your blog posts posted by Earn Money Blogging

You may have noticed the small icons at the bottom of your blog posts linking to MySpace, Facebook, Digg, Stumble Upon and other social media websites.  These icons allow you to quickly link your blog post to these sites.  You should be using these links a lot.  Submitting to social media sites is free and easy and can really increase the traffic to your blog.  Consistently using them is the easiest way to build a following and increase your traffic.
Using the Facebook and MySpace links:
Assuming you have an account on MySpace or Facebook (it's free to join so if you don't sign up now) click on the icon below your blog post for the site you want to submit to.  It will take you to a submission page where you simply put in a brief description about your blog post.  Then, a link to your blog post will appear on your Facebook or MySpace profile. It's that easy.  If you have a large following on either of these sites it's an easy way to get people to your sports blog.  So make sure you submit links to your best sports blog posts.
Digg, StumbleUpon, BallHype:
These social media sites are a little different than MySpace and Facebook.  You create an account on these sites (it's free to join), you submit interesting content (i.e. your sports blog posts) and you vote on content submitted by other people.  As you click around the sites looking at interesting content you'll also be trying to build a friends list, which is important because people will find your submissions based in part by how many friends you have.  This is a simplistic overview of the sites, but it should be enough to get your started.  There is quite a bit of complexity to each of these sites and they all work a little bit differently.  The only real way to learn them is to use them so sign up with them today and start using them.
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Headlines Widget updated to include your blog posts posted by Earn Money Blogging

We've added some additional functionality to our " Headline Widget" so that our bloggers can now promote their blog posts through the widget.  Simply go the "Headline Widget" page, type in your username in the appropriate blank, and copy the HTML to any webpages (i.e. your MySpace profile page or your personal blog) where you want your blog posts to appear.
 
The " Headline Widget" can be customized to display in any color and it comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. 
 
Important: The widget is geared towards displaying headlines and blog posts for a particular sport or team, so if you want the widget to display all of your blog posts no matter what the subject of the blog post is, be sure to choose "All Sports Headlines" for the first customization option.
 
This widget is a great way to promote your blog.  Get as many people as you can to put the widget on their webpages.  For example, tell your friends with MySpace and blogs to paste your widget into their pages.  Or contact other sports bloggers and see if they would put the widget on their blog page.  The widget is simply HTMl code, so any page where you're allowed to post HTML is a good place to post the widget.  We've had local television stations use this widget on their website to get up-to-date information about the local professional sports teams so there's no telling who might find your blog posts interesting and be willing to post your widget on their website.  Email the webmasters of any websites you visit regularly and see if they would be willing to post your widget on their website.
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Inbound link contest winner announced! posted by Earn Money Blogging

A big thanks to everyone who participated in the "Inbound Link Contest".  We have a winner!  A big congratulations go out to Marija.  Thank you for all your hard work on this.  While we had a lot of people participate, Marija was able to win with only 4 links!  So it wouldn't have taken a lot to win this contest!  We'll be having another contest soon so stay tuned.

The whole purpose of this contest was to get our bloggers networking with other webmasters and to start to build up their inbound links which will help their traffic.  Even a few links can help you with the search engines as they will see you as more of an authority on your topic the more inbound links you have.

To learn more about marketing your blog check out this post: http://www.nbabasketballonline.com/sports_content-rev_share_faq.html#my_faq_2971

Marija's blog can be found here.  If you're a Knicks fan, check it out: http://www.newyorkknicksnews.com/marijak

The original post announcing the contest can be found here: http://www.nbabasketballonline.com/bloggers/weblog/2984.html

And if you're not already signed up with Google AdSense and making money from your blog, check out our Revenue Share FAQ page: http://www.nbabasketballonline.com/sports_content-rev_share_faq.html

Gold Medal Decision posted by Macklen Jackson

I, for one, will be rooting for Becky Hammon and team Russia when it comes to Olympic basketball this summer. And just to clarify something right off the bat: I’m not Russian and I am patriotic. I thought I’d explain that early on, because judging by how Hammon has been scorned as of late, the American public seems ready to jump to irresponsible conclusions.

When team USA’s 23-player roster was released, Hammon’s name was conspicuously absent, despite her stats being at least comparable, if not better than several players who did make the list. Hammon was also the runner-up MVP for the WNBA last season, where she plays for the San Antonio Silver Stars. When the roster size was expanded, she was later added and invited to try out for the team, hoping to make the 12-player final roster. However, Hammon declined this invitation because she had meanwhile been offered a very lucrative deal with the Russian club CSKA Moscow to play professionally during the WNBA’s offseason. This decision led to her inability to try out for the U.S. team and here’s why:

By signing with CSKA Moscow, Hammon was fast-tracked to get a Russian passport, and was subsequently offered a spot on the Russian national Olympic team. The Russian passport was not just a ticket to the Olympics for Hammon. Her dual-citizenship increased the value of her CSKA Moscow contract substantially; dual-citizens are highly coveted by the Russian league because its rules limit the number of foreign players they are allowed to employ, and players like Hammon can conveniently side-step this rule with a Russian passport. So, then it became a matter of straight-up probability. Does she take the sure thing: a guaranteed spot on the Russian team, or turn that down and gamble on a long-shot: making the U.S. 12-player team, for which she was only invited to try out after the invite list had been expanded beyond its original 23. She did not feel that she had a legitimate chance to make the team, and like most athletes, the idea of competing in the Olympics is too good to pass up.

When Violence Is Good posted by Chris Humpherys

Let’s face it.  When was the last time you talked about the WNBA, or even bothered to read a post about it?  David Stern’s decade-long project, known as the Women’s National Basketball Association, has provided hundreds of female athletes with a means to professionally pursue their basketball careers.  It has generated immeasurable interest among young females.  However, it has also been subsidized by the NBA since its existence.  While not entirely devoid of talent (the WNBA has seen the likes of Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes, Diana Taurasi and Lisa Leslie), most sports fans would rather watch paint dry than attend a WNBA game.

Rarely will highlights from the WNBA lead a sportscast, never mind be reported.  That was until this week.  In Tuesday night’s Los Angeles Sparks – Detroit Shock game (yes, I had to look up the names of those two franchises), a brawl broke out involving both players and coaches.  There hasn’t been a good ruckus in Detroit in some time, so the fans were due.

Tempers had been flaring throughout the game.  After a made Marie Ferdinand-Harris free throw, Plenette Pierson and league savior Candace Parker got entangled, with both of them hitting the ground shortly thereafter.  Pierson then immediately got up and accosted the young Parker as she lay on the court.  Ultimately, benches cleared, punches were thrown and players were ejected.  Dare I say, more quality contact was made in this scuffle than in most NBA brawls.

Once a girl, Always a girl... posted by Kara Dee Liggett

Interestingly enough, WNBA basketball isn't your grandmother's favorite sport.  Not that it was, but it had potential, in the beginning, when "models" like Lisa Leslie and Rebecca Lobo were preaching about how they dealt with the challenges of being "ladies" in a man's world.  Nowadays, the concern is no longer how to remain a "lady" but, instead, how to dunk like the boys.  For one, the ladies are wearing the shorts hanging half-way down their rears (I'm guilty!) just like the boys...and [GASP] they're even a little guilty of "talking trash" just like the fellas... 

Now, don't get me wrong, not all the players in the WNBA are little replicas of these special "hoopstas" I am referring to, but if you walk into a gym for a high school summer league tournament or if you've been around girls after a high school or college basketball game, you will see a fair share of the girls sporting baggy shorts and big sneakers (I can't believe I just used the word sneakers, but my grandma would be proud!)...

Girls are taking basketball seriously in many respects- the intricacies of the game, the ways in which "flashiness" and solid fundamentals can enhance the effectiveness of a knowledgeable player, and most of all, being a fashion icon can speak volumes before you even step onto the basketball court- but you better bring some game to back up those baggy shorts or you might not be invited back to the gym. 

 All this to say that while the WNBA is the ultimate achievement for the girls who have the ambition and ability to play at that level, it is also the standard for thousands of young ladies who are striving to find their identity in a sport that has been dominated by women who are nothing like the men basketball stars.  And it's good to finally have some girls in the "league" that are feminine, yet tough, without being "girly!"

Inbound link contest - Win $100! posted by Earn Money Blogging

To try and motivate our bloggers to get inbound links we're going to have a contest to see which blogger can get the most inbound links to their blog. The contest begins now and ends July 31st, 2008. To be entered in to the contest all you have to do is go out and get as many websites to link to your blog as you can and at the end of the month send us an email listing all those links. All links must be active from August 1st through August 7th when we'll be judging the entries - a winner will be announced on August 7th. All entry emails must be received by Midnight on July 31st, 2008. You can email them to sportsfan@nbabasketballonline.com

We're going to impose some restrictions on the types of links you can get so please see below for the full list of links that do NOT count.

To get started simply go to Google and find other websites and blog that are about the sports and teams that you write about. Email the website owner and ask them for a link by explaining that you think your blog would be a good resource for their readers. Or offer to write a guest post for them with your by-line and URL at the bottom of the article. Or offer to exchange links with them by writing a quick write up of their site and a reciprocal link back to them. Some webmasters will be happy to add you to their blog roll even if you don't give them a link back (which is ideal) but some may want you to link back to them - you can easily do this with a quick blog entry on your blog about their website.

To learn more about inbound links and marketing your blog in general check out this post:

Dream names Ross assistant coach (PA SportsTicker)

The Atlanta Dream on Wednesday named Carol Ross as an assistant coach. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Lynx name Petersen assistant coach (PA SportsTicker)

The Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday hired Jim Petersen as an assistant coach. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Mystics name Plank coach (PA SportsTicker)

WASHINGTON (Ticker) - The Washington Mystics on Thursday named Julie Plank coach. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Mystics hire Julie Plank, 11th coach in 12 seasons (AP)

Once again, the Washington Mystics introduced a new coach, a ritual that happens about once a year. They promised this one would stick around a while. Julie Plank, a longtime college and WNBA assistant, was hired Thursday as the latest hope for a team that has known nothing but change. She becomes the 11th coach of a franchise that begins its 12th season next summer. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Mystics name Taylor new GM (PA SportsTicker)

The Washington Mystics on Thursday named Angela Taylor as the club's new general manager. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports