Show Class Mag People Champ final countdown--GO Vote!

The fine folks at Show Class Magazine have narrowed down their People's Champ contest to 24 but need your help picking the 25th contestant. Remember the winner of all this gets automatically inserted into our Invited Builder circle at Born-Free 6!!! CLICK HERE to see what/who is in the running and to go vote!

Josh Kurpius Exhibit at the Harley Museum

This is a can't miss event. Josh's photos capture the true American experience on a motorcycle and the Harley Museum is heaven on earth.

BF5 Tattoo

Spotted this in Japan last week! Done by the fine folks at Sid's Tattoo in Santa Ana at Born-Free 5.

Entry Fee for BF6?

Yes it's true. This year we are charging $ 10 per day to get into the show. We have had an unbelievable 5 years of doing it for free but we simply can't do it anymore. Last year was a great show but we had many major issues behind the scenes. Two guys are not capable of handing the 20k+ spectators, 175 vendors ,25 Top Sponsors, 30 Invited builders ect... The show has suffered some, the people involved have not gotten the attention that is needed and deserved and frankly we can not handle the stress, pressure and workload anymore.

So what does the $ 10 admission do? The first thing it does is it pays for day 2..remember it's two full days now and we are giving away 2 bikes as well. That will almost double our operating costs...which are sky-rocketing.

Next it will help us hire a much needed real event staff to make your experience more enjoyable and help us do our job better. Much Better! We are also bringing over a container from Japan with Invited Builder/Invited Guest bikes... So if you can't get to a bike show in Japan we will bring the Japanese bikes to you. There is a massive laundry list of additional things that warrant the $ 10 per day admission but I think you get the message.
If it's too much to pay or you think the show is now tainted it's ok not to come. We want you to but it's up to you... remember it's just a bike show! We have always shared everything we do and why we do it (probably to a fault) with everyone but that's how we have always done it and it's made the show what it is. This year is going to be a challenging and interesting one for sure and we hope you are there to enjoy it with us... 

           

The Invited Builder Bikes You Can Win....So Far

Here is the list of the builders who are committed as of today. We are still working on a few of the guys and may add more in the coming days... Tom Fugle , Caleb Owens , Joey Cano , Matt Walksler , Paul Cox , Jason Sheets , Oliver Jones , Larry Pierce , Trent Schara , Bryan Thompson , Nick Miserendino , Ryan Mullion and Kevin Baas. We will announce what they are building soon...  

Dave Mann Chopperfest

We had a great time yesterday at the Dave Mann Chopperfest in Ventura! Always brisk but sunny weather and great bikes. We also went live with our Born-Free 6 bike giveaway posters and tickets. Thanks to all that stopped by the booth! 

We also had the tough job of picking the Best In Show as part of our sponsorship with the Chopperfest and gave a giant check to John Edwards and his killer Panhead. We think Dave Mann would approve! 

Posters Go On Sale Next Week

The poster w/ free ticket that will enter you to win one or maybe two of the bikes we are giving away this year at BF6 will be on sale online through Lowbrow Customs next week. We kicked off selling yesterday live at the David Mann Chopper fest and the response was strong. The posters this year are screen printed on a heavy stock and look amazing...even the tickets are nicer. We will be announcing which builder bikes that will be in the giveaway promo tomorrow. The bike for day 2 is still undecided..it may be another builder bike or if we find something unique we may go that direction. We will keep you updated on that.

  

Tomorrow 12/8 Chopper Fest

It's almost here! The Dave Mann Chopper Fest. We will start selling the BF6 Bike giveaway promo posters w/ free ticket that will enter you to win a invited builder bike day 1 and if the stars align and you buy two...the 2nd bike( to be determined) on day 2. That 's 2 killer bikes this year!! The posters look amazing and feature all the invited builders...and yes they are screen printed!! Come on out and support this show. We also will be giving away a $2500 prize to the best in show winner. The winner will also receive a special (guest) invite to BF6. Ride ur Chopper & See you tomorrow.  

 

Dark Template

DEMO | DOWNLOAD

Before anything you need to backup the current template. This is very important so you can always go back in case you come across any error.

Backup Current Template

Go to your Blogger Dashboard, select your blog > click on the Template option on the left side, then press the "Backup/Restore" button.

For downloading your current template, click on the Download full template button:

Upload the Dark Template 

To apply the Dark Template > click on Browse, search for the xml file that you have downloaded, select it and then press on the Upload button:

Settings

1. Edit the Main Navigation Menu

Go to Blogger, select Template > click on Edit HTML button and search for the html code below (press CTRL + F keys). After you found it, replace 'Link URL' (without the quotes) to the ULR/address of the link that you want to target, also change the title of the link.

<li><a href='Link URL'>Title 1</a></li>

Change these lines as well:

<li><a href='Link URL'>Title 2</a></li>
<li><a href='Link URL'>Title 3</a></li>
<li><a href='Link URL'>Title 4</a></li>
<li><a href='Link URL'>Title 5</a></li>
<li><a href='Link URL'>Title 6</a></li>

If you want to add another link, then simply paste this code just below the last line:

<li><a href='Link URL'>Title here</a></li>

Screenshot:

2. Change the format of the date header

Go to Settings => Language and formatting and choose the Date Header Format, as shown in the picture below:

3. Add the widgets

- Last Comments widget

Go to Layout > click on the "edit" link from the "Last Comments" gadget and paste this code inside the empty box:

<ul id="lastcomments">
<script src="http://your-blog-here.com/feeds/comments/default?alt=json-in-script&callback=showrecentcomments_avatar"></script>
</ul>

Replace http://your-blog-here.com with the url of your blog or site. Then save the gadget.

- Search widget

click on the edit link from the HTML/JavaScript gadget and paste this code inside the empty box:

<style>
#search-box {
position: relative;
width: 100%;
margin: 0;
}
#search-form
{
height: 40px;
border: 1px solid #121212;
-webkit-border-radius: 5px;
-moz-border-radius: 5px;
border-radius: 5px;
background-color: #070707;
overflow: hidden;
}
#search-text
{
font-size: 14px;
color: #ddd;
border-width: 0;
background: transparent;
}
#search-box input[type="text"]
{
width: 90%;
padding: 11px 0 12px 1em;
color: #333;
outline: none;
}
#search-button:hover {
background: #282828;
}
#search-button {
border: 1px solid #121212;
position: absolute;
top: 0;
right: 0;
height: 38px;
width: 80px;
font-size: 14px;
color: #777;
text-align: center;
line-height: 38px;
border-width: 0;
background-color: #000000;
-webkit-border-radius: 5px;
-moz-border-radius: 5px;
border-radius: 5px;
cursor: pointer;
}
</style>

<div id="search-box">
<form id="search-form" target="_top" method="get" action="/search">
<input id="search-text" type="text" placeholder="Search here..." name="q" />
<button id="search-button" type="submit">
Search
</button>
</form>
</div>

Screenshot:

Enjoy!

Thank You BF6 Sponsors...

We want to thank all of our sponsors for making the 2 day Born-Free Show a reality. The support we have received has been awesome. The Silver Sponsor and above levels make the print material but our lower levels are just as important and we thank you too. Here will be the print flyer...

   

Mooneyes HRCS 2013

We are very excited to be picking one lucky bike and it's owner at the Mooneyes Yokohama HRCS in a couple weeks that we will ship and fly over to Born-Free 6 as a very special guest! 

Working with Shige and the Mooneyes staff the last few years is always a pleasure! They have done so much for hot rods and custom bikes over the past couple decades and their enthusiasm is contagious. 

Anyway, it's pretty exciting to make someone else's dream come true!

Recent Rotating Post Gadget with Excerpt For Blogger

This is a JavaScript code displaying the latest posts of any feed with the distinction of having two parts which can be used individually or combined.

At the top we will see a single post with the title (link), author, date and a brief summary of its content. In addition, this post will rotate automatically within a list whose number of elements will be decided by us.

At the bottom will be shown a full list with chosen posts and when we mouse over any of them, the post will be on top, breaking the automatic cycle.

But before installing anything let's see it in action to decide if it does what we want.

Loading...

How to Add Recent Rotating Posts Widget to Blogger

Step 1. Go to Layout > click on Add a Gadget link.

Step 2. From the pop-up windows, choose the HTML/Javascript gadget

Step 3. Paste this code inside the empty box:

<style>
.gfg-root {
width: 100%;
height : auto;
position : relative;
overflow : hidden;
margin: 0 auto;
text-align : center;
font-size: 12px;
border: 2px solid #CAD4E7;
}
.gfg-title {
font-size: 16px;
font-weight : bold;
color : #3D5A99;
background-color: #ECEEF5;
line-height : 1.4em;
overflow : hidden;
white-space : nowrap;
}
.gfg-entry {
background-color : white;
width : 100%;
height : 9.2em;
position : relative;
overflow : hidden;
text-align : left;
margin-top : 3px;
}
.gf-title a {
font-weight: bold;
color: #3F86C6;
}
.gfg-subtitle {
display: none;
}
.gfg-list {
position : relative;
overflow : hidden;
text-align : left;
}
.gfg-listentry {
line-height : 1.5em;
overflow : hidden;
white-space : nowrap;
text-overflow : ellipsis;
padding-left : 15px;
padding-right : 5px;
}
.gfg-listentry-odd {
background-color : #eeeeee;
}
.gfg-listentry-even {
background-color : #fefefe;
}
.gfg-listentry-highlight {
background: #748BB7;
}
.gfg-listentry-highlight:before {
position: absolute;
left: 0;
content: '\25BA ';
font-size: 14px;
color: #eee;
}
.gfg-listentry-highlight a {
color: #eee;
}
.gfg-root .gfg-entry .gf-result {
position : relative;
background-color : white;
width : auto;
height : 100%;
padding-left : 20px;
padding-right : 5px;
}
.gfg-root .gfg-entry .gf-result .gf-title {
font-size: 14px;
line-height : 1.2em;
overflow : hidden;
white-space : nowrap;
text-overflow : ellipsis;
margin-bottom : 2px;
}
.gfg-root .gfg-entry .gf-result .gf-snippet {
height : 3.8em;
color: #000000;
margin-top : 3px;
}
.clearFloat {
clear : both;
}
</style>
<script src="http://www.google.com/jsapi" type="text/javascript"></script><script src="http://www.google.com/uds/solutions/dynamicfeed/gfdynamicfeedcontrol.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
function showGadget() {var feeds = [{title:'List',url:'http://helplogger.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?redirect=false&start-index=5&max-results=10'},];
new GFdynamicFeedControl(feeds, 'feedGadget',{title: 'Latest Posts', numResults : 10, displayTime : 5000, hoverTime : 500});} google.load("feeds", "1");
google.setOnLoadCallback(showGadget);
</script>
<div id="feedGadget">Loading...</div>

Customizations:

First is the feed address to display. The url http://helplogger.blogspot.com obviously, should be replaced with yours.

Next is start-index=5. This number indicates from which post we want to begin to show.

max-results=10 indicates the maximum number of posts that we will be reading from the feed, which is indicated in the start-index=5. This number always needs to be equal or greater to which we should see later and serves to set the number of posts that will be shown in the gadget. The easy thing would be to put 500 in order not to fail, but the higher the number is, the longer the gadget will take to load, so it's better to adjust to what we need to show.

Finally there are some parameters of the script:

title: 'Latest Posts', is the title which goes on top.
numResults: 10, number of posts that actually will be in the list
displayTime: 5000, the delay time between posts in the rotator (in milliseconds)
hoverTime: 500, minimum time for a item in the list to be displayed at the top.

If we want to hide the list and show only the posts, then change this part:

.gfg-list {
position : relative;
overflow : hidden;
text-align : left;
}

 to :

.gfg-list {
display:none;
}

and if we want to display only the list, then change this part:

.gfg-entry {
background-color : white;
width : 100%;
height : 9.2em;
position : relative;
overflow : hidden;
text-align : left;
margin-top : 3px;
}

to:

.gfg-entry {
display: none; }

Step 4. Save the gadget and we're done. Enjoy!

Sponsor Deadline is here...

Hey folks the BF6 sponsor deadline is here. In order to get every benefit from being a top sponsor this we need a commitment this weekend. Posters, tickets, flyers, ect will be printed in the coming weeks and your logo needs to be on them... so now is the time1 Please email Holly@bornfreeshow.com with any questions or concerns.

The official List

Scriptaculous image slider/carousel for Blogger

This is a very nice carousel slideshow made by Brian R. Miedlar which shows a gallery of images having a sliding effect that returns to the beginning once it gets to the last image.

If you need to see this carousel in action, please visit this demo blog.


To add this image carousel on your Blogger blog, follow the steps below:

Step 1. Login to your Blogger Dashboard, go to Template and click on the Edit HTML button:

Step 2. Search using CTRL + F for the </head> tag.

Step 3. Just above the </head> tag, add this code:

<script src='http://www.google.com/jsapi'></script>
<script>
google.load("prototype","1.7.0.0");
google.load("scriptaculous", "1.9.0");
</script>

<script language='javascript' src='http://helplogger.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/Image Carousel/os.js' type='text/javascript'/>
<script language='javascript' src='http://helplogger.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/Image Carousel/carousel.js' type='text/javascript'/>
<script language='javascript' src='http://helplogger.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/Image Carousel/application.js' type='text/javascript'/>

Note: If you already have Scriptaculous and Prototype, it's not necessary adding the code in red.

Step 4. Now search for the following code:

]]></b:skin>

And just above it, add these styles:

.carousel {
position:relative;
clear:both;
left:20px; /* Distance from left */
margin-top:10px;
margin-bottom:20px;
border:2px solid #000; /* Carousel border */
background-color:#333333; /* Background color */
}
.carousel .navButton { cursor:pointer; display:block;
text-indent:-9999px;
background-repeat:none;
z-index:10;
}
.carousel .container {
position:absolute;
overflow:hidden;
}
.carousel .items {
position:absolute;  }
#Carousel2 {
height:88px; /* height of the container */
width:685px; /* width of the container */
}
#Carousel2 .container {
left:26px;
top:12px;
width:630px; /* width of the images container */
height:100px; /* height of the images container */
}
#Carousel2 .items { top:0; left:2px;
width:1700px; /* overall width of all the thumbnails */
}
#Carousel2 .item { height:70px; width:70px; float:left; clear:right; }
#Carousel2 .item .icon img { position:relative; left:0px; width:65px !important; height:65px; cursor:pointer;}
#Carousel2 .navButton { position:absolute; bottom:0px; width:24px; height:87px; }
#Carousel2 .navButton.previous { left:0px; background-image:url(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegNg4TcZ8-T3qfKlGQNxz2-vmJ4dX17FCPRbJ0Cu4tHCLYjm43TzItgea_JgBiqtF4WzCcI4cwMgnJMkYs0h1QSpm8WGe0Ju-W8wr_XtjYOh3SHsnFCHgYHBjmPb6XBgQMtxu5-XKQ5M/s1600/button-left.png); }
#Carousel2 .navButton.next { right:2px; background-image:url(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnM1thVoKY6u6CCpjyNzr849v289Kyc2S_SRRyca6wXSXwF8b9aP0cricZBpc9vP06diwA6oBuk34E967KhxpgTl9C-qho_hYiyAeCMppF8hvlEUMnT963598I_3HlgP8kq0nu9mpI3o/s1600/button-right.png); }
#Carousel2 .item .key { display:none;}
#Carousel2 .item .picture { display:none;}

Here, I have put some styles in green that can be customized as you wish, such as the border color and the background color. The arrows are images, so if you want changing their color or use other, you have to change the two URLs in blue.

The width of the carousel is of 685px, so below the header might look good. If you want to change the length then you have to change the /* width of the container */ (which is the size of the entire carousel), the /* width of the images container*/ (which is the area that shows the thumbnails) and the /* overall width of the thumbnails */ which is the actual width that occupy all the thumbnails together.

Step 5. Save the Template.

Step 6. Go to Layout > click on Add a Gadget link > choose HTML/Javascript from the pop-up box and paste the structure of the carousel:

<div id="Carousel2" class="carousel">
<div class="button navButton previous" style="display:none;">Back</div>
<div class="button navButton next" style="display:none;">Forward</div>
<div class="container">
<div class="items">

<div class="item">
<div class="key caption">Thumb</div>
<div class="icon">
<a href="link URL"><img width="65" height="65" src="image URL" /></a></div>
<div class="picture"></div>
</div>

<div class="item">
<div class="key caption">Thumb</div>
<div class="icon">
<a href="link URL"><img width="65" height="65" src="image URL" /></a></div>
<div class="picture"></div>
</div>

<div class="item">
<div class="key caption">Thumb</div>
<div class="icon">
<a href="link URL"><img width="65" height="65" src="image URL" /></a></div>
<div class="picture"></div>
</div>

<div class="item">
<div class="key caption">Thumb</div>
<div class="icon">
<a href="link URL"><img width="65" height="65" src="image URL" /></a></div>
<div class="picture"></div>
</div>

<div class="item">
<div class="key caption">Thumb</div>
<div class="icon">
<a href="link URL"><img width="65" height="65" src="image URL" /></a></div>
<div class="picture"></div>
</div>

<div class="item">
<div class="key caption">Thumb</div>
<div class="icon">
<a href="link URL"><img width="65" height="65" src="image URL" /></a></div>
<div class="picture"></div>
</div>

<div class="item">
<div class="key caption">Thumb</div>
<div class="icon">
<a href="link URL"><img width="65" height="65" src="image URL" /></a></div>
<div class="picture"></div>
</div>

<div class="item">
<div class="key caption">Thumb</div>
<div class="icon">
<a href="link URL"><img width="65" height="65" src="image URL" /></a></div>
<div class="picture"></div>
</div>

<div class="item">
<div class="key caption">Thumb</div>
<div class="icon">
<a href="link URL"><img width="65" height="65" src="image URL" /></a></div>
<div class="picture"></div>
</div>

<div class="item">
<div class="key caption">Thumb</div>
<div class="icon">
<a href="link URL"><img width="65" height="65" src="image URL" /></a></div>
<div class="picture"></div>
</div>

<div class="item">
<div class="key caption">Thumb</div>
<div class="icon">
<a href="link URL"><img width="65" height="65" src="image URL" /></a></div>
<div class="picture"></div>
</div>

<div class="item">
<div class="key caption">Thumb</div>
<div class="icon">
<a href="link URL"><img width="65" height="65" src="image URL" /></a></div>
<div class="picture"></div>
</div>

<div class="item">
<div class="key caption">Thumb</div>
<div class="icon">
<a href="link URL"><img width="65" height="65" src="image URL" /></a></div>
<div class="picture"></div>
</div>

<div class="item">
<div class="key caption">Thumb</div>
<div class="icon">
<a href="link URL"><img width="65" height="65" src="image URL" /></a></div>
<div class="picture"></div>
</div>

<div class="item">
<div class="key caption">Thumb</div>
<div class="icon">
<a href="link URL"><img width="65" height="65" src="image URL" /></a></div>
<div class="picture"></div>
</div>

<div class="item">
<div class="key caption">Thumb</div>
<div class="icon">
<a href="link URL"><img width="65" height="65" src="image URL" /></a></div>
<div class="picture"></div>
</div>

<div class="item">
<div class="key caption">Thumb</div>
<div class="icon">
<a href="link URL"><img width="65" height="65" src="image URL" /></a></div>
<div class="picture"></div>
</div>

<div class="item">
<div class="key caption">Thumb</div>
<div class="icon">
<a href="link URL"><img width="65" height="65" src="image URL" /></a></div>
<div class="picture"></div>
</div>

<div class="item">
<div class="key caption">Thumb</div>
<div class="icon">
<a href="link URL"><img width="65" height="65" src="image URL" /></a></div>
<div class="picture"></div>
</div>

</div>
</div>
</div>

Add the URLs of the links and the URLs of the images. The link URL is optional if you want to link the images to some posts.

If you add more images or remove some, you also need to change the width of the thumbnails, otherwise some pictures will appear behind the others.

To add more pictures, just add before the </div> in red a piece of code like this:

<div class="item">
<div class="key caption">Thumb</div>
<div class="icon">
<a href="link URL"><img width="65" height="65" src="image URL" /></a></div>
<div class="picture"></div>
</div>

To align the gadget just change the distance from the left (in green) to another value.

How to Write SEO Optimized Blog Posts

I'm not a SEO Expert, nor what we will read further is a top secret, but this is something about basic positioning that everyone should apply in order to optimize the blog posts. So with these techniques, effort, and lots of patience, we can occupy the best places in the search results of different search engines.

Of course, not all the cases are alike, nor all blogs are positioned similarly, some may have greater competition than others depending on how popular is the topic they handle, so when it comes to positioning there's no specific time that applies for all. Having said this, let's begin.

Focus on a topic

Whatever the theme of your blog is, when writing a post, try focusing on a definite subject that has a clear objective and has no distractions, for example, if you write about Digital Cameras, then the beginning and the end of the post should be only about it. Don't start talking about digital cameras and end up telling about what you have done last weekend. A reader goes to a page because is looking for a specific information, so unless it is not a personal blog (where you write about your daily life) do not digress.

Define the post title

The post title should be precise, so that you can briefly summarize the content of the post, but you must not abuse this either and although it should be concise, do not save words that might be keys to the search.

Examples:

Collection of all the cameras that have been released last year on the market

The best digital cameras of 2012

Clearly, the first one hasn't been defined so much and the second is not only more accurate but it is more appropriate for what people are searching on the internet.

The keywords

Keywords are those terms that the most people search for on the internet and you should try focusing on them when writing an article; these keywords have to be included throughout the entire article but you should be careful not repeating them too many times.

Example:

During the fourth week of the technology, there were many products that are consumed today, and the most famous experts gave a speech on them.

At the opening of the fourth Technology Week, the experts talked about various topics, including how to choose a digital camera, frequent discussions about the pros and cons of the iPad, and what are the best smartphones.

In the first example we have written without giving importance to any terms, however in the second one, we used phrases that are searched on the internet by the users.

So, the most frequent search terms should be included wisely but without cluttering your posts with these words, or it can be counterproductive.

These keywords should be added in the title of the posts, as well.

Rely on synonyms

While it is good using keywords, we should not limit ourselves to a single word. It is recommended using synonyms because users do not name things in same way and using less keywords, you'll avoid leaving the reader under the impression that you are being repetitive and insistent.

Examples:

Nikon D7000s Digital Camera is a 16.2 megapixel digital camera that takes great pictures, for those who like good quality pictures.

Nikon D7000s is a 16.2 megapixel digital camera that takes excellent pictures, for those who like good quality images.

In the first example we have repeated the word digital camera and pictures twice meanwhile in the second one, we used the digital camera keyword once and changed the word pictures with images.

This way, the reader will find a greater diversity of words and could enjoy the article more.

Using bold and italics

The main keywords should be highlighted, so that they will stand out from the rest; this is taken into account by the search engine robots being like some kind of lures for them, so the words with which you want to position yourself have to be highlighted with bold, but be careful, this shouldn't be done with CSS, but with HTML, i.e. they should not be tagged with font-weight: bold; but rather with <b> or even better, with <strong>.

Examples:

Nikon D7000s is a 16.2 megapixel digital camera that takes excellent pictures, for those who like good quality images.

The result seems to be the same, but it is not. Although the three sentences are in bold, only one is more attractive to robots, which is the first.

<strong>Nikon D7000s</strong> is a 16.2 megapixel <b>digital camera</b> that takes excellent pictures, for those who like <span style="font-weight: bold;">good quality images</span>.

The same goes for the italics, use them for highlighting important words, but do not put them between font-style: italic; but rather between <i> or even better <em>.

<em>Nikon D7000s</em> is a 16.2 megapixel <i>digital camera</i> that takes excellent pictures, for those who like <span style="font-style: italic;">good quality images</span>.

Again, the first has a better chance of positioning than the others. So, it is recommended to highlight the keywords in bold and italics, or put them between <strong> and </strong>, or between <em> and </em>.

Using links

Some believe that we shouldn't use links in the posts because this way we are giving away our Page Rank. This is not quite true, using referral links to sites that have already shaped their credibility, will also help us to shape our own. Certainly, we should not flood our posts with links, but do it when is necessary, and especially with sites that address the same topics as you.

Also, avoid putting the typical "click here" or similar texts. When you put a link, the anchor text should be fairly descriptive.

Examples:

<a href="Link URL">Click here</a> to know more

More information about <a href="Link URL">digital cameras</a>

In the first example, the anchor text is not relevant and descriptive, in the second it is.

Illustrating with images

Articles with images are not only visually appealing, but might help the reader to understand what you are talking about, thus, whenever you can, use an image in your post to illustrate the publishing, but do not overdo it, because many images or very large images can slow the loading time of the blog.

New and relevant content

You should focus not only on writing many posts, but also making them relevant to your readers. New and original content is more attractive to the search engines than a copy & paste, and actually the last gets penalized. So try to write new stuff, even if you think that all has been said, it isn't so, each person has a different way of saying things.

Also, always try to get informed before writing an article; do a research and see if the information is valid, based on that you will gain the trust of your readers.

With these few techniques you can increase the chances of positioning your posts on the internet. As I said earlier, these aren't things that no one heard about, but I know that many start and do not know how to optimize the blog posts.

It does not hurt repeating that the positioning is not given overnight, but with some effort and patience, you should see the desired results over time.

Top 5 Reasons Why Freelancers Need Private Clients (Guest Post)

If you're in freelancing for keeps, you need private clients, period. Every single serious freelancer has to make private clients and direct deals a priority in their business. The truth is, your chances are going to be mighty slim otherwise.

Here's a brief look at the five top reasons why YOU should be grinding it out every day, advertising yourself and making yourself known to potential private clients.

1. Money, Money, Money, Baby

eLance, Fiverr, oDesk, Guru. What do all these freelance sites have in common? They charge you or your client extra.

On most professional freelance sites, like eLance and oDesk, you'll find that the client is charged extra. For example, if you do a job for $100, on eLance the client gets charged $100 + 8.75%.

When you deal directly with clients, and he pays the money upfront straight to your PayPal account (or whatever e-payment system you use), you don't get charged, and he doesn't either. It's a win-win.

Over at Fiverr, they take a 20% cut of whatever job you do. So, in reality, you're earning a measly $4 per gig (provided that no extras were purchased). Again, when you deal directly with clients, you're not losing out, and neither is he.

2. Repeat After Me...

Dealing directly with private clients allows you to build a better relationship. You get to know each other (a little bit), you exchange e-mail addies, maybe even connect via social media; when you use a third-party program, you don't get to do all these things.

When you build a relationship with your client, he/she is more likely to realize that your services are an essential part of his/her business. Thus, they'll always have you at the back of their mind, and there's as much greater chance of them coming back to you, and giving you all their related work. In the long run, it's much more profitable to have ten clients who give you all their work, than a thousand who give you a job once and never come back.

Building relationships is the way to go.

3. Moolah

Yep, moolah is just another word for money.

Private clients are much more likely to pay you more for the same amount of work, for two reasons:

- When clients  use eLance/oDesk, most of the time they'll be going for the lowest-paid Philippino (no offense intended0.

- Since they get to know you better, they don't mind paying more. They know your quality of work, and they will actually pay you exactly what you deserve.

Number one, by the way, is just an inescapable fact. It's just true. Sorry, fellas. Number two is also true. When they get to know you, they're more comfortable giving larger amounts of money since they KNOW that you're gonna do a good job and not rip them off.

4. Ain't Nobody Else Here

When you talk to and give a sales pitch to a client privately, there's no competition. There's nobody else around to spoil your chances.

With freelance sites, there's almost always a bidding process happening (excepting Fiverr). Especially for writing jobs, there will normally be close to 30 people bidding, all on the same project. That works out to approximately 3.3%, but it's more likely closer to 1% if you don't have any reviews.

When you deal directly with clients, you're the only one in the picture. Just you, and nobody else. You can set your prices, explain your work and the rest without having to worry about what others are bidding.

Needless to say, this raises the chances of getting hire pretty significantly.

5. Yes! I Can Make a Living Freelancing!

When you do freelancing the private client way, what you know have is a sustainable business model. Something that is both ensured to work, and something that can be profitable enough for you to make a decent living at it.

Once you find your client, it's just a matter of rinse and repeat. And ultimately, this is gonna allow you to achieve the "work from home, work whenever and wherever" lifestyle you really want.

Summing Up

I would highly recommend that you switch to working for private clients, if you haven't already. Yes, eLance might seem great for now, but ultimately it's not gonna work out. 99% of the guys making a living online deal directly with private clients. It's up to you, now.

From Make A Living Writing : If you think that you have a content which can help many readers here, feel free to share that over email at akhil.khatri@alliancelive.com

About the Author: JR John is a happy-go-lucky freelance writer and red panda lover. He runs a website from which you can purchase his high-quality, professionally written articles. JR’s very grateful for the opportunity Akhil has graciously given him to guest post his meaningless rant on Make a Living Writing. To learn more about JR, contact him, or hire his writing services, visit his website.

Builder Update! Larry Pierce

There must be some good water out there in Alabama because our buddy and invited BF6 builder Larry is always havin' a good time buildin net stuff! Here's a quick look at what he's got cookin' for this year...


"Here are some pics of what i got so far. Motor and stainless neck and tubing for frame.

I just got my motor today, its a 48 UL basket case and I have a lead on a panhead transmission. I am gonna get started on the frame today or tomorrow.  Pumped about being invited back this year so....here we go again."

Thanks,

Larry

Garage Company Customs Inc.

688 Hwy 331

Columbiana, Al 35051

205-682-0040

205-533-8922 fax

garagecompanycustoms.com

THE BF 6 POSTER

 A big thank you to Harpoon for doing this awesome poster and the artwork for BF6.
We are targeting the Dave Mann Chopper Fest ( Dec 8 2013) to start selling the posters w/ free tickets for the Giveaway Promo live in person and approx. Dec 15th online through Lowbrow Customs.
These posters will be 12 x18, screen printed on quality paper and feature the handsome faces of all the Invited Builders. We will have more announcements later this week...   

One Month Away

...Until the Mooneyes show in Yokohama Japan. We are proud to be giving away the Born-Free Award. The winner of that award comes to Born-Free 6 with their bike as an invited special guest.  The HRCS has the best bikes and builders from Japan so this one is going to be tough.
Shige and crew have done  this show for 22 years and it just keeps getting better. The event's guest list reflects heavily on Born-Free Builders and attendees and we are very proud of that. If you get the chance to go...Go!!  See you soon.  

BF6 BUILDER POST ( CALEB OWENS )

I grabbed this off Caleb's site. I thought it was meaningful.                         

10-29-2013

My first Born Free 6 post. I am resurrecting Uncle Sam. This time around for me it is more about the journey to bring that bike back and to actually finish it like I initially intended. I'm on a search of some sort. An emotional journey possibly.

This is the tank that was on the bike at the time I got hit.
I'm going about things a little different this time around. I'm hoping to get several friends, and other builders/fabricators I admire and respect, to help me bring the bike back to life. Most folks that build their first chopper get help along the way from friends and old timers, my journey was a lot different. Aside from my brothers telling me what NOT to do, most of what I learned was self taught.
So, with the spirit of the old timers before us, I'm setting out to bring my bike back to life and maybe along the way, learn something new about bikes, metal work, people, and hopefully, life.

BF 6 Giveaway Bikes?

We are working on what bikes will be in the promo this year.. and yes I said bikes! That's 2 bikes. One each day. We are talking with our invited builders and we will have a final list together soon on who is in on the giveaway for day One. The Day 2 bike is still on the table. We are asking for your help.
 Would you like to see another builder bike,a survivor bike, an FXR, a stocker, chopper or early model?.. Let us know. The more info we have the happier you will be. The details on the rest of the promo and the poster w/ free ticket is in the works..so stay tuned.