It’s Listography time again and this week I’m adding my top 5 tips for bloggers. Having been blogging for 15 months now it feels like I am finally getting somewhere, but it’s tough getting to this point so hopefully sharing a few of the things I’ve learned might help people. If they don’t then check out the other entries because no doubt something there will.
1. Find a blogging cadence that suits you, but I would suggest at least once a week. It’s difficult to build readers and get interaction if you are blogging less often. However don’t feel like you need to post every day or anything, once or twice a week works fine.
2. People aren’t going to magically find you blog, find out where people who write blogs in the same category hang out. If it’s parenting then checkout Britmums and NetMums etc, if it’s food then perhaps the British food bloggers? This gives you a great forum to not only let people know that you exist but also start talking to like minded people.
3. Following on from the above, go and comment on blogs, set aside a few minutes every day or every few days and comment. This is a great way to build interaction and 9 times out of 10 the person who receives the comment will be curious and come and have a read of your blog. But do make the comment meaningful, not just ‘nice post’ every time, find some way to share an experience or comment on a particular aspect of their post.
4. Join in with some of the regular linkys like this one, they’re a great way to get inspiration for what to write (see point 1) and for getting some visitors to your blog. But please don’t just do linkys, it gets a bit boring if that’s all you’re doing or if you are doing 1 a day. We also want to read something original from you and learn what makes you tick.
5. Be nice. You can be thought provoking, controversial even in your writing, but do it in a positive way. This goes for twitter to, have a debate but don’t be nasty or believe that your view is the one and only right one.
P.S one more thing to add that occurred to me while at the gym (where all the best thinking is done) and that is enjoy it. A lot of the above are about getting people reading your blog, but please don’t interpret this as you should be trying to get as many page views as possible. The reason to attract readers is to get some interaction and discussion. Get out of your blog what you want, be it a place to share things with family, exercise your urge to write or to build an income. None of these is the ‘right’ motive.
January 16, 2012 at 9:50 am
Your foolish mutterings are actually jolly useful! As I blundering newbie I think I’m doing most of the above, but it’s good to see them in black and white as a reminder. The thing that’s struck me most about blogging is how generous seasoned bloggers are with their advice and support. Given that we’re all competing for pageviews and rankings and cyber love, this generosity is impressive.
January 16, 2012 at 9:18 pm
well I’m glad someone finds them useful 🙂
January 16, 2012 at 10:41 am
Good tips, Ben. I need to hang out in some of those joints. I’m rather reclusive.
January 16, 2012 at 9:19 pm
Yeah I hear that the places you do hang out are a bit seedy
January 16, 2012 at 6:08 pm
Look at you! My how far we’ve come!
January 16, 2012 at 9:45 pm
I know! And to think you were there when it all started 🙂
January 16, 2012 at 10:22 pm
not foolish, very, very wise!
January 16, 2012 at 11:00 pm
The ‘nice post’ comments are kind of annoying. I belong to a blog directory where all people want to do is get followers so they go around commenting (on the directory) with “nice post, come check out my blog”. Luckily they don’t often make it to my actual blog, so it doesn’t affect me too much.
Regarding your number 4, I must remember that I shouldn’t just do linkies. I’m averaging about four posts a week and 2 are linkies and 1 is a linky I host, so that means only 1 non-linkied post! Gotta work on that!
January 17, 2012 at 7:34 pm
exactly, it’s not really engaging is it?
January 17, 2012 at 10:27 am
Love your #5. Have opinions but be respectful of others’ opinions too.
January 17, 2012 at 7:34 pm
glad you approve 🙂
January 17, 2012 at 9:11 pm
Can’t really fault your list. Like no.3 most – I always find that when I’m ‘double busy’ the first thing to suffer is my blog reading and commenting. But 10 mins each day is surely doable…Hmmm.
January 19, 2012 at 8:53 pm
A few mins sprinkled here and there can make all the difference, it can drag you in if you’re not careful though
January 17, 2012 at 11:10 pm
Ahh, the all important thing at the end there, enjoy it…. so many people seem to forget that! Mich x
January 19, 2012 at 8:55 pm
exactly, can be easily lost in the hunt for page views and blog prompts!
January 18, 2012 at 4:00 pm
I think this is a great tips (especially ‘enjoy it’!) but my favourite bcause it is most relevant to me at the moment is to find your cadence. I have tried daily, weekly, three times a week, blah blah blah. The one that seems to work the very best for me is twice a week. I was anxious at first then I realised that because I was writing better content, I was getting more response. And I also had more time to visit and engage with other blogs. And more time for life outside the blog!
January 19, 2012 at 8:56 pm
Exactly, has to be what works for you and your life, but I think too many people think there is a single right answer