BlogWritingCourse

So you are starting a new blog, and you want to have more than Aunt Erma and Cousin Grover reading it.  So you begin to explore all the different ways of increasing blog traffic (including taking our terrific Blog Writing Course!!) and yet you still feel like there is something else you could do to get the word out about your site.

And there is!!  It is called Twitter, and unless you have lived in a cave for the past five years you have probably heard of it.  You might have even looked into it, but weren’t sure how it could really benefit you.  Well, if you are a blogger, Twitter might have several benefits for you…

• Twitter can introduce your blog to a whole different set of readers.  Those who follow Twitter aren’t always the same ones who follow blogs, so if you create a Twitter account that is focused on the same subject as your blog, you might garner a whole new audience!
• You can have your new posts automatically post to Twitter!  That’s right…using a service such as Twitterfeed, you can link up your blog to Twitter and let TF do all the work!  Then, your Twitter followers will be immediately notified anytime you add a new post.
• You can get more mileage out of your blog.  Blog posts are very different from Tweets…they are longer, more indepth, and usually have more substance than the average Tweet.  But that doesn’t mean that you stop having things to say about your blog subject after you have posted.  If you want to add to the conversation, post additional remarks, or ask for opinions about what you have posted, Twitter is the perfect outlet!
• You can supplement your blog.  By posting additional information, links, and resources that have to do with your blog theme, you can use your Twitter account to be an all-in-one reference source for your particular subject.  This helps potential readers understand that you are serious about making your blog the Go-To place for info.

To utilize these strategies, you will also want to be sure to include a scrolling feed of your Tweets on your blog sidebar as well.  That way, your blog visitors can quickly view your between-posts information!

So you have been thinking about starting a blog.  Everyone is doing it, right? So why shouldn’t you??

Well, maybe you should, and maybe you shouldn’t.  Here are some questions to ask yourself if you have been considering joining the blogosphere lately…

1. Do you enjoy writing?  If the first answer that comes to mind is…”I’d rather have bamboo shoots stuck under my fingernails!!”, then possibly blogging is not for you.  But let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet.  Maybe you don’t enjoy writing because you haven’t found something you enjoy writing about yet. If that is the case, see the next question…
2. Do you have something you are passionate about?  If there is a subject, concept, idea, or hobby that you just can’t get enough of, then you just might be the next big blogger.  That’s because having a deep interest in a particular subject is one of the key ingredients of being able to write a blog that others will enjoy reading.  People can “catch” passion.  Even if you aren’t the best writer in the world, but you are passionate about what you are writing about, you can often create a successful blog.
3. Are you willing to take risks?  Are you willing to try new things?  Experiment?  Learn?  Even more importantly…are you willing to fail?  If the answer to these things is a resounding “yes”, then you might be ready to jump headlong into the exciting and uncertain world of blogging!
4. Do you enjoy networking?  One important thing to remember about a blog is that it is NOT a diary.  A blog is meant for viewing and interacting with.  That means that in order to build a readership for your blog, you have to do more than just write it and hope people will come.  You have to network with other bloggers and online personalities in the field you are blogging about.  If you like to keep pretty much to yourself on the world wide web, then blogging may not be for you, but if you are a natural chatter, commenter, and messager, then you already are halfway there to creating a community around your blog!

If you answered each of the above questions with a resounding, “YES”, then you could be a strong candidate for starting your very own blog.  I would suggest that you take our free pre-course, “Intro to Blogging” to help you get your feet wet and help you make the final decision about whether blogging is for you.

One of the great ways to build traffic for your fledgling blog is by both BECOMING a guest blogger and HOSTING a guest blogger.  If you have already made connections with bloggers in your genre, or have been reading a blog with a theme similar to yours for some time now, this may not be too difficult to set up. 

The first thing would be to send an inquiry to someone you would like to have as a guest writer.  You could have them write just one post, a whole week, or a series of posts.  The person should be someone whose blog has a decently strong following, because your hope is that that person’s readers will follow them over to YOUR blog, and be introduced to you in turn.  When you contact the author, you might want to explain to them why you think they would make a good guest poster for your blog (a little flattery never hurts!).  You also will want to ask them to announce their guest post status on their own blog, so you will get a direct link to your blog.

This technique for traffic building will probably have at least a modest effect on your blog.  But an even BIGGER traffic-building strategy is for you to guest post on someone ELSE’S blog.  So how in the world do you go about that?

Well, it requires some tact and some good writing, for sure!  Before offering your guest blogging services to anyone, you need to make sure that your blog is in tip-top shape.  Has your writing been stellar lately?  Is your design up-to-date and eye-catching?  These are the things another blogger will be looking for as they make the decision whether you are guest blogger material!  So before you make even the first inquiry about becoming a guest blogger, do an objective analysis of your recent content to see if it is up to guest blogger standards.

Then, when you feel confident that you have produced some pretty awesome content, go ahead and send your blog link and a request to five of your favorite blogs in your genre, asking them to take a look at your blog and consider you as a fill-in for the next time they are out of town or have hit writer’s block.  Hopefully, if they like what they see, they will keep your info on file, and will contact you with your first ever guest blogger opportunity! 

Then, when you take them up on their offer, be sure to link back to your blog somewhere in your post, so that when (not if) their readers enjoy your writing, they will be able to easily make their way over to your blog and become your next biggest fans!!

Chances are, you are already benefiting from feeds - - those wonderful time saving devices that go out and get the information YOU want, and bring it right to your doorstep. I have feeds for my favorite blogs, my local newspaper, and updates to my frequented websites. I don’t have to go out to all those different sites to get updated information - - instead, it comes to me.

You might not, however, have been on the actual "feeding" side of a feed until now. But when your blog starts to grow its readership, your followers will want the same convenience you do in having your blog updates sent directly to them. So, you will need to register with a feed service, to make sure this is accomplished easily. Another advantage of having a feed service, is that it tracks your feed subscribers. So you will know exactly how many people are accessing your feeds on a regular basis.

Sometimes, setting up an RSS feed for your blog is as easy as going into your dashboard or layout and tweaking a few settings.  In Blogger, for instance, you go into your “Settings” menu and look for “Site Feed”.  From there, you can choose how much of your site to syndicate.  Once you have enabled these settings, your site feed will automatically be generated.  Some Blogger templates will immediately begin showing a subscription option to your readers.  Others may require you to install a separate gadget for this purpose.

In Wordpress, feed subscriptions are enabled with a widget called the “blog subscription widget.”  Your blog stats page will then show you how many people are subscribed to your blog. 

If you prefer more detailed or in-depth information about your feeds and subscribers, you might consider signing up for a separate RSS feed via an external feed site such as Feedburner or Bloglines.

You can write the most exciting, engaging, and even mind-blowing blog in the world, but unless people can subscribe to your content, they will never know when you have something new to say.  So make creating a feed for your blog a priority!!

Yes.  Yes, in fact I did say a FREE blogging course.  BlogWritingCourse.com is proud to offer new or potential bloggers a free introductory course into the world of blogging.  That means that if you have been entertaining the idea of starting a blog, but felt that you really didn’t know where to begin, then we have a course for you!!

Intro to Blogging is a fun and interactive automated course to help you get your feet wet in the blogosphere.  There are a series of videos, short readings, and interactive exercises which you can take over a week or so, taking perhaps a total of two hours.  During this time, you’ll discover:

- how easy it is to blog

- what the basic lingo (vocabulary) is

- some basics about online safety

- whether blogging is something for you or not

Don’t let a lack of knowledge intimidate you from starting a blog or even taking a blog writing course.  By signing up for and taking our free pre-course you know what it’s all about. You’ll understand the lingo. You’ll know how to stay safe online and you’ll know how to create and promote your own blog.

Join the growing number of bonified bloggers who have gotten their start in blogging right here - - at BlogWritingCourse.com! 

This week, I only blogged twice on my personal blog, but I happened to notice that traffic - - especially new visitor traffic was way up.  I looked at my statistics a little more closely to see what might have created the boost, and couldn’t find any huge surge in backlinks or referrals.  There was no big Google search trend for anything I had posted about.  The only thing different that I could see was that I had used a couple particularly clever titles for my posts this week.

This got me intrigued, so I pulled up some older statistics and compared it to other weeks where my titles had been particularly interesting, and sure enough, there was a spike definite traffic/title correlation going on.

I guess this shouldn’t have been a real revelation, but of all the things about my blog, my titles are usually only given an afterthought.  Usually they just make me laugh, so I’ve always been good with that.

But now, I’m considering putting a little more thought into my blog post titles. Based on my short investigation, this is what I have come to conclude are the best choices for blog titles:

• Titillating words or phrases - - throw in a “Viagra” anywhere within a title, and you are bound to get a few extra clicks that week
• Things that make you go awwww - - some of my most traffic-inducing titles sound like they came from the inside of a Hallmark card.  Obviously we’re suckers for sap.
• Rhyming Words - - I’ll admit I’m still stumped by this one, but for some reason people simply can’t resist a good “Junk in the Trunk” story.  Must go back to all those “Hop on Pop” moments we shared with our mothers as toddlers.
• All Caps - - I beg you to use this one WITH CAUTION, but if you are desperate for a little bloggy action on a particular day, go ahead and give us the cyber shout.  We’re gluttons for punishment, it would seem.

Those are my simple, yet weirdly profound conclusions as far as titles go.  Granted, I didn’t give you the skinny on keywords, SEO, and other stuff that professional bloggers would wax eloquently about, but if you want real (albeit, temporary) results, then I’m telling you…add in your favorite E.D. drug of choice in your next post title and watch those stats surge! 

Until next time,

I enjoy blogging.  Really, I do!  But it’s possible that I might not enjoy it quite as much if I didn’t have some terrific blogging tools that I have come to depend on.  I guess it’s sort of like a baker.  I’m sure he or she always enjoys baking - - but they probably wouldn’t like it QUITE so much if they didn’t have their favorite sifter, or their favorite cheese cloth or their favorite candy thermometer. 

Fortunately, I don’t have to imagine a world where I would have to blog without my techie tool kit.  That’s because many of the great programs and helps I use are absolutely free and as easy to get as a quick download.

1. My all-time favorite blogging tool - - hands-down - - is Windows Live Writer.  I write several different blogs, and Live Writer keeps track of them all.  I write my posts within the software, and it has automatic saving capabilities as I go - - no more lost blog posts!!  Images are a snap to include in posts, which is a lot more than I can say for the interfaces within either Blogger or Wordpress.  And there are tons of plug-ins which provide no end to the other cool things I can do to my blog…generate tags, create Polaroid-style images, link up with my Picasa albums…you name it, Live Writer can probably do it!
2. Another trick that makes blogging easier is the terrific “Share This” add-on for Firefox.  Seeing something on the web that you want to blog about is now as simple as clicking on the “Share This” button in your browser and choosing your blog host.  (you can also share content immediately in dozens of other ways including Twitter, MySpace, Digg, and even by email)
3. I’ve recently become very impressed by the GetSocial application.  GetSocial is a simple social bookmarking tool that will generate a code for each blog post you write so that readers can easily share YOUR content with others via several different bookmarking options.
4. This probably isn’t news to you, but Google rules the world.  And sometimes, with good reason.  There probably isn’t any better analytical tool for finding out how your blog is doing than Google Analytics. It’s accurate.  It’s comprehensive.  And it’s free! What’s better than that??
5. Is your blog content worth saving?  Hopefully, you are all nodding your head “yes” out there.  If you are, then you should know about Web2PDF.  This service allows you to embed a cool tool on your blog so that readers can save or print your articles as pdf files.  It also keeps track of how many people are using the service so you can know which parts of your blog are the most helpful to others.

Yes, you could make an apple pie without your handy-dandy apple peeler/corer/slicer.  But why would you???  I wouldn’t.  Just like I wouldn’t want to blog without these handy-dandy blogging tools.  If you have any favorite tools for blogging that have served you well, why not share them in the comments!

Until Next Time,

The mysterious widget.  It sounds like something right out of a conversation between Piglet and Pooh, doesn’t it? 

Piglet: Oh, d-d-d-dear.  I think I just saw a widget flying by my window!”

Pooh:  Was it holding my missing honey jar, perchance?

Despite it’s strange name, however, the widget (also called a “gadget” by Blogger users) is a quite important piece of the blog puzzle.  Whereas blogs might be thought of as simply websites containing scrolling pieces of writing from most to least recent, the truth is that today’s blogs are so much more.

HTML and Javascript coding have introduced all sorts of possibilities for blogs - - even those hosted on free blog hosts!  As long as a blogger has access to blog settings, he or she can add any number of things to their sidebar.

Here are some popular options for sidebar widgets:

• Picture of the blogger or a graphic representation of the blog
• “About Me” information to get more background on the blogger
• Subscription information, such as how to subscribe to the blog via email or RSS
• Blog Archive – a history of the posts from most recent backwards, usually organized by month
• Search box for being able to search the blog by keyword
• Category listing for grouping blog posts by topic
• Advertisements such as Adsense ads or individual ads
• Links to blogs the blogger enjoys reading or wants to promote - - often called a “blogroll”

Depending on the blog software you use, inserting a widget into the sidebar, can be as simple as clicking on a box and typing in some text, or as complicated as completely coding every line of CSS script.  Most of the mainline blog hosts make it a very easy process, though. 

This ease of use DOES have a downside, however.  Newbie bloggers can often make the mistake of OVER-using widgets and cluttering up their sidebar so much that they detract from the blog posts themselves.  Be wise with your use of widgets and make sure they are inherently tied to the theme of your blog, and not so graphically “tacky” that readers are turned off by the visual clutter.  Try to find a balance between providing helpful information and remaining aesthetically pleasing.

So go ahead…have some fun with those widgets.  That’s what Pooh would do!

Until next time,

Image by melop via Flickr

I consider myself a relatively non-judgmental person.  I try to look at issues from both sides.  I try to evaluate a person’s motives, as well as their actions.  I understand that people have good days and bad days.

But when it comes to blogs, I’m a complete snob.  As are most people.

We give a blog about 15 seconds - - TOPS! - - to impress us, and then we move on.  Why?  Because there are several million other blogs to choose from.  So what does that tell us?  That first impressions matter - - A LOT.

For that reason, it is of the highest importance when creating a blog to focus on the overall visual imprint your blog is going to have on a visitor.

• Are the color schemes inviting?
• Is the template you are using unique?
• Does the header clearly express what the blog is about?
• Is the title catchy and interesting?
• Have you made the blog easy to navigate and find the most important information?
• Are your sidebars easy on the eye, or cluttered with excess?
• Are there enough graphics to keep visual people engaged?

These are all terrific questions to ask yourself when you are in the process of building a new blog.  If the answer to even ONE of these questions is negative, you may have just lost a potential reader.

It would be ideal if everyone in the blogosphere was willing to look past the “externals” of your blog in order to see the truth of what you have to say, but we’re usually far too fickle and too pressed for time to be that understanding.  So, give some serious thought to what your readers’ first impressions of your blog should be, and take the time and effort to make sure they stick around long enough to find out just what it is you have to say.

If you’d like to find out more about blog design, and how to create the right “look” for your new blog, consider signing up for our next session of Blogging 101 - - a comprehensive eight week, instructor-led course for new bloggers!

Until next time,

If you haven’t registered for our next Blogging 101 course, now is the time, because we are starting up the next 8-week series on January 11.  If you have been on the waiting list, we appreciate your patience - - I know it will be worth your wait!

Blogging 101 is an instructor-led course that will guide you through all the basics of creating and establishing a new blog.  Subjects covered in the Blogging 101 curriculum include:

• What Makes A Good Blog
• Developing Your Blog Identity
• Creating Your Blog
• “About Me” Pages
• Getting Started Writing
• Building Quality Content
• Hooking Your Readers
• Blogging Etiquette and Safety
• Promoting Your Blog

With Blogging 101, you will even have a built-in audience for your first posts - - your fellow classmates!  You will have fun learning with them and from them, and getting honest feedback and comments on your blog content.  Plus, your instructor, experienced blogger and writer, Topsy Techie will hold your hand as you go step by step through the process of creating and starting your new blog.  The Blogging 101 course is more than just a class - - it is a community of people who want to see you succeed in the world of blogging.

This is going to be a terrific course, so register today and don’t miss out on your chance to start a New Blog for the New Year!!