A couple months ago, I decided to create a post on my Searching Solutions Blog that contained a giant list of blogging tips on everything from setting up an effective blog, to advanced SEO tactics. It has become a regular feature of my site, and something I update every week with new tips. There are currently over 100.
I'll be posting portions of the list on AR for reference. If you want to see more, make sure to check out the origianl list here: Ultimate Guide to Blogging
** If you plan to link to or bookmark this guide at some point, please do me a favor and link to the original at: www.searchingsolutions.com/blog Thanks for your help! **
Here are some of the categories I cover in the guide:
Contents:
- Tips For Getting Started
- Basic Blog Formatting & Structure
- Blog Design & Features
- Blog Content Tips
- Blog Participation
- Blog & Article Promotion Tips
- SEO For Blogs
- Blog Link Building
- Social Media
Here is part 5 in this series on Blogging Tips:
- Return Comments - It’s common courtesy. Not necessarily expected… but it will go a long way in building relationships with other bloggers, and show them that you care.
- Answer Your Comments - This is expected. Especially when someone asks you a question. There is nothing that can kill the conversation on a blog faster than the author ignoring commenters.
- Turn on Trackbacks - This will give the other bloggers that choose to link to your posts a benefit and show them that you’re not afraid to link out to them and share the love.
- Have Feedburner Deliver Your RSS Feed - Feedburner is in desperate need of updating, but it’s still the best tool out there to track your feed statistics, customize your feed, and have it delivered by email.
- Allow Email Subscriptions - Make sure these are turned on with Feedburner. Alternatively you can sign up for a service like Feedblitz. Either way, this is a vital part of any blog and will help the technically challenged readers subscribe with ease.
- Comment Reciprocation - Teaming up with another blogger to comment on each other’s blogs can be a great way to build some credibility and show your readers that your blog is active. There’s nothing worse than have a page full of posts with no comments. It can kill morale, and drive readers away.
- Extra Blog Features - This can be anything from a message board to a Q&A to a job board. There are alot of different features you may want to consider adding that will enhance the participation on the blog.
- Ask a Question - One of the simplest ways to get people to comment is to ask a question. It’s like giving an open invitation to participate.
- Make a Guerrilla Comment - This is the art of being the first person to comment on a popular blog. The first commenter will typically get very good visibility and traffic from a well visited blog, and will continue to generate long term traffic on some posts.
Good tips! You can never have enough information about blogging . . .
-Justin
Thanks Justin Great tips for the blogging community !
..JUSTIN...Love your Blog...my eyes are hurting me from reading.There is so much to learn..I have used many of your tips and will continue to read on.. I really like the money tail...Thank you for all your help.....:0)
Thanks Justin - this is great information! I need all the help I can get. It seems so simple when I read it here - practicing it is a whole other story!
Justin, great tips as always. I clicked through trying to find the information on titles and SEO in general and got lost. What did I do?
I'm glad I found your post Justin, and I'm looking forward to diving in. Great information! Thanks
Really great info! I have bookmarked for this weekend, when I have time to look and learn...
Thanks,
Dagny
Everyone needs help, advice, and coaching at some point. Thanks for sending us on the right path. I like the idea of posing a question in a blog and then responding to the answers . . . now that's communication! Thanks Justin.
Thanks Justin, I always look to you for great tips!
I like the "make a guerrilla comment - it's all about being in the right place at the right time - I'm always excited when I am one of the first.
Thanks for the tips Justin. I've tried to do my part in the blogging word with return comments.
Thanks for sharing those great tips for bloggers to get up to speed with whats happening!
Great information. You have a Ph.D in blogging, thanks for sharing.
thanks for the great post and please keep them coming
Justin - Thanks for all of the help - your tips are always so good.
If I see that someone comments on my blog often, I subscribe to their blog so that I see when they have a new post - that way I can get right over and comment.
Great points! I look forward to implementing some of these. I'll be sure to keep an eye on your future posts.
Thanks so much Justin. This information is very helpful for the newbie.
This was just what I needed to read at this time! Justin, I will keep an eye out for more! Thanks!!
Justin, I have feedburner on my neighborhood blogs at http://lambiance.wordpress.com and http://www.realtown.com/Lynngri/blog My subscribers are not being notified via e-mail when my site is updated. Is this a function of feedburners switch to google? I thought I followed all the directions to have my blogs publizied. Is it possible that I have done something glaringly wrong? Any advice is appreciationed.
Lynn H. Wilber, GRI, e-Pro, Downing Frye Realty - Naples,FL
Hi Lynn,
You might want to verify that the email subscription service is turned on. You can find this under the "publicize" tab.
Also, what are you currently doing to capture emails? Did you set up the email form on your site?
Hi Justin,
Great blog. I do have to admit I am so guilty of not acknowledging each comment that comes in, so after reading your post I am going to committ to improve this bad habit. It does seem time intensive but you are correct about buidling relationships. I guess there is a happy medium compromise?
Thanks!
Tamara
Hi Justin, This is some excellent material and I can benefit with the refresher course. I switched to the Mac and the Firefox browser looks so limited compared to the way it displays on the Windows side. I did subscribe again but it still doesn't show up here. So I will log back in on the Windows side of the Mac and do it again. Great information and glad I found you again.
William
Hi Justin, I think I'm having the same problem as Lynn, since Google took over feedburner. I can't paste the email code onto my site. It doesn't show up. So, I am without one, expect that you can subcribe via RSS feed. Any suggestions for a computer dummy? Thank you!
Great help Justin, I am formulating some thoughts and ideas as to how my first ever blog will be about. I am so happy that I found this blog because it is a wealth of knowledge.
Justin... great tips as always. Nicely done.
Rene'
Super tips! i will also read the original post. I need all the help I can get -- AND I appreciate your efforsts tohelp all of us.
Hi Justin, Thanks for the reminders. I've been wondering about trackbacks. I remember asking someone once if I should click "accept comment" when they come into comments, and I was told it didn't really matter. Is that what you mean here?
Hi Justin as always great advice. I find it so anoying when I post a comment and days later still no answer or at least an acknowledgement of my comment, then a few days later still no reciprocity on my posts. I guess rudeness is just the norm and politeness is the exception. So it is nice to see you remind all of us. It does mean a lot. Thank you.
I'm hungry for this kind of information...thx!!
Great post great info.
Great blogging tips and advice. Thanks for the information.
Thanks alot!
I like the Guerrilla comment idea. I've noticed a spike in traffic when I'm the first to comment. ;)
Thanks! great tips. I am going to have to update my blog now!
Hi Justin;
Great post and super tips, I thank you.
Thanks for the tips! I'm new to the blogging world - i'm currently working on my dreaded first post and find that any bit of advice is very helpful. :)
Thanks for sharing these tips, I just came across this blog tonight, and am excited about the tips and info.
Justin, thank you for putting together all this info! Having been online for many (!) years, I have never had to deal with all the social networking. Your tips give a lot of really helpful clues about the new (to me) face of the internet and what you have to do to be successful today :)
Justin: Here's another tip - when commenting on someone else's blog leave a comment that is interesting and adds to the discussion, not just "great post" or "I enjoy reading your blog". If your comment is relevant and compelling, people reading the comments and other commenters will click your link just to see what else you have to say.
Hello Justin...I wanted to thank you for sharing your knowledge of blogging for those of us who aren't blog savvy let's say. So I appreciate you sharing this with all of us inexperienced bloggers!
Walter Collins.
Justin, Thanks for the tips. I'm trying to learn everything I can, but some of it is still a mystery to me. I will definitely be researching all you've written, and others, to further that quest.
A much needed refresher for me...thanks.
Great advice. Well worth sharing with people again.