Best Blogging Tips
As the original post was getting a tad too long, I decided to split into two parts. For the first 4 tips on blogging, check out part 1.
5. Respect your readers
Don’t blog about anything you can’t say to a person’s face. Scott McNulty of The unofficial Apple weblog
Accept criticism with open attitude and see what you can learn from it.
Think about others’ feelings before you post. Your blog is not a license for rudeness.
6. Gain experience from your personal blog
Blogging means different things to different people. Peter Rojas; Engadget. Figure out what are you blogging for.
Before starting a blog, make sure you have more than one thing to say. Make a list of half-dozen or more ideas. Rebecca Lieb. ClickZ
Blogging for free, on your own, may win the attention of paying blogs. Victor Agreda Jr. DIY life
Experience with a personal blog can prepare you for blogging for pay. Deidre Woollard. Luxist.
A personal blog is a better platform for being yourself and communicating honestly, rather than a blog you are paid to write. You admit to your biases rather than hide it. Mary Jo Foley of All about Microsoft.
A blog can support and extend the life of a book. Brad Hill. Weblogs, Inc
The strength of successful blogs is their authenticity. Content and personality are both important.
Blog from your heart. Deborah Peterson of Life in the Fast Lane.
7. Blogging is a learning process
Says Gary Lee of An internet Marketing Website.
Blogging is an ongoing learning experience. Gina Trapani of Lifehacker. It can help you learn more about a particular subject.
8. Increase your readership over time
Be passionate about what you write, it shows.
Write original, thoughtful, well written content and readers will come.
If you want people to come to your blog, you must offer them something of value. Steve Rubel. MicroPersuasion.
Respond to your comments, your readership counts.
Look for opportunities to self promote your blog.
Comment on blogs of high-profile bloggers in your niche area to draw traffic. Kristin Darguzas. ParentDish
Growth does not happen quickly. John Neff. Autoblog.
Learn about SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Link to other blogs where appropriate. They might link back. Joel Comm. JoelComm.com
Links from other blogs are more important than SEO, because those links give you the effect of SEO. Robert Scoble. Scobleizer.
Avoid begging for links. Mike Masnick. Techdirt.
Rather than focusing on bringing in traffic, let content guide your blog. Philipp Lenssen Google Blogoscoped
Setting up titles that appeal to both search engines and humans is all the SEO that most blogs read. Brad Hill. Weblogs, Inc
So, anytips for having a successful blog? More importantly, what is your definition of a successful blog?
155 Comments
Welcome!
Hi, this is Marya. I am a Facebook Ad & Content Strategist. I help you to promote your program or coaching package with confidence using Facebook ads.
Together, we will create ad strategies to attract hot leads and sell your ecourse, coaching program or service package by the bucketloads .. that’s the plan.
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What I learnt from Blogging Heroes: Top Blogging Tips PART 1 « Marya writes Says :
[…] « What in the world is Travalo What I learnt from Blogging Heroes: Top Blogging Tips PART 2 […]
Brent Dubi Says :
Very meaty. Broken down into bite size chunks, a sprinkled with pertinence. Keep up the good work.
misslularaven Says :
thanks for posting this, helpful and concise.
hearttypat Says :
Love those little tips from all those different sources! I think having a successful blog means having like-minded audience to appreciate what you’re doing and in turn, you learn off from another total stranger-cum-potential-friend! To me, that’s always the fun and what’s keeping me inspired!
maryawrites Says :
Exactly, you nailed it. Having a likeminded audience … that’s what I bog for. Cheers for dropping by. 🙂
contemplativemoorings Says :
So, what if your way of thinking is different than everyone else’s?…How then to find an audience?…That’s what I still haven’t figured out…
maryawrites Says :
Yes, it would be hard. Actually you might even alienate more people if you write about how you truely think and feel. Best to have a professional blog I reckon.
Tooty Nolan Says :
I have no tips to give, but I’ll accept as many as I can get. Finding readers: Where are they all?
maryawrites Says :
I was just wondering about the same thing … until now. Yay for wordpress!!! 🙂
Thoroughly Good Says :
All great tips which reinforce a number of the principles I try and stick to on my own blog. I’m not sure I necessarily agree with the view that writing everyday *isn’t* important. But still .. that’s the whole point of any good blog posting. It’s meant to stimulate discussion isn’t it 😉
Thanks for the post.
maryawrites Says :
I think for those who can’t write everyday- like myself – maybe writing regularly is even more important? Cheers for dropping by.
mesacoelsombrero Says :
I agree with you, but i think that the message is “don´t post something, only for the fact that you have to post one write each day”.
I hope that you understand what i want to write.
John Roycroft Says :
Thank you for the valuable information. Being new to the blogging world I have been wanting to expand my readership, but not really knowing how. I’m afraid my blog is likely to have fewer subscribers because of it’s nature. I started it as a hobby and as a means to voice my opinion on current events and random issues. Thanks again for the good information, by the way, I enjoyed reading some of your other articles.
maryawrites Says :
Thanks very much John. I am new at this as well so I am trying to help many others like myself. All of us are in the same boat. Cheers.
Deanna Says :
I have my days where I obsess about stats, but I’m getting better at not looking. Instead, I’m getting great feedback and beautiful words of encouragement from the people I care about the most: my friends and family.
I think writing from the heart, thereby creating a blog you are proud to call your own, is the best case scenario – that is success, in my mind.
maryawrites Says :
I agree .. 🙂 Thanks for dropping by
Thenewcomer Says :
Hi,
I enjoyed this post much more than another one which had been recently Freshly pressed on the same subject of “how to blog better”. I like the way that your post doesn’t assume that better blogging means more viewers, and that you should basically write about what you care for. Readers will follow, (or not).
I have also been told if I narrow down the focus of my blog I might attract more readers- the problem is, I can’t! My blog reflects my life, as a parent, an employee, an immigrant, a third-world person, a student, a cook, a cleaner, whatever. Life seems so much broader than One Single Topic. I don’t know how those who write “mommy blogs” or “food blogs” manage to concentrate!
Anyway, here are my views on blogging:
http://thenewcomer.wordpress.com/2010/11/03/views/
maryawrites Says :
I can totally relate to you – its hard for me to pick one thing and write about it. Will be checking out your blog once I have read all the comments. 🙂 Many thanks
real-life-fantasy Says :
Thanks for this – I need all the help I can get right now. I always enjoy reading your posts. I can tell you are very open and honest in everything you write.
maryawrites Says :
Thanks. Much appreciated. 🙂
magher1
Thanks, great tips! I’ll definitely use some… I think that a successful blog is the one that is created naturally and with passion and gets feedback for this exact reason.
maryawrites Says :
PASSION is the key to having success in life – at anything and everything. right? Thanks for your comment 🙂
Lea Ann Says :
Thanks so much for this great information. I’m loving my blog, I’ve learned so much about writing, content and photography. I’ve got to learn more about SEO.
maryawrites Says :
Me too. But take heart knowing that content is better than SEO. At least thats what everybody says. Thanks for coming by. 🙂
hazelstevenson Says :
thanks for the great summary. I’m new to blogging so I try to read as much as I can and implement new ideas on my blog all the time – but it’s definitely a work in progress. And writing honestly and candidly, but not without humour or irony, seems to work for me – but maybe that’s just my personality. The best compliment I had was a friend who commented that while reading my blog they could hear me speaking – it was just like I was standing there in front of them – minus the waving arms and extraneous hand gestures! I loved it. thanks again.
maryawrites Says :
I totally know what you mean. I swear thats what people say to me as well. Hey, we find like-minded people everywhere, right? Cheers. 🙂
Hanna Wilbur Says :
Wow, it is amazing how you find all this content, compact it, and then link it back to each of the other blogs or sites. Thank you so much for this.
maryawrites Says :
No worries. I am quite obsessive about a lot of things… hehehe 🙂
elisabethschreibt
thank you! for a long time I was just blogging in order to keep family and friends up-to-date, but nowadays I am getting interested in “real” blogging – and it is good to know a bit more about “what blogging is”, what it wants to be and what it can be. keep going :)!
fantasyfic Says :
I just finished a course through Writers Digest University (Blogging 101 lol), which I thoroughly enjoyed. It gave me the courage to try once again to blog. So many of the Tips you describe here were also set out in the course. I figure you can’t get enough of the good advice or get it too many times. Perhaps it will sink in.
Thanks for posting this. It is comforting to have what I learned confirmed from another source. I’m not sure why I want to blog so much – it’s almost a drive, and I can’t seem to leave it alone 🙂
Sandra Bell Kirchman
maryawrites Says :
I know what to mean. Everyday when I am struggling to find time for myself, I just want to have an hour and sit and write – and read – and learn. Thanks for dropping by. 🙂
Rob Says :
Useful tips, thanks very much.
aquatom1968 Says :
Yes, thank you for posting this! I’m still learning about blogging and this post has come at the right time for me!
katiekoppin
I, too, found this post helpful! Thanks for writing!
KanKan
I know all about that feeling…where u write and its like nobody’ reading… for like days on end…
However, like u said, its incredible what being regular on other blogs can do for your blog… I discovered that more as a side effect of reading through most of my favorite blogs and commenting… I slowly saw this pattern, where every weekend there was this spike in my blog stats… the whole thing was very obvious…
EJ Lavoie Says :
Thank you, Marya. You have performed a real service for beginners like me. And I enjoy your blogging style!
maryawrites Says :
Thanks very much. 🙂
What I learnt from Blogging Heroes: Top Blogging Tips PART 2 … | Blog about Blogs Says :
[…] Heroes: Top Blogging Tips PART 2 … Posted on Tuesday, December 21st, 2010 at 9:27 pm Blogging Innovation wrote an interesting post today. Here’s a quick excerptA personal blog is a better platform […]
bagnidilucca
Thanks for the tips. I’m fairly new to blogging and had no experience with computers, writing or anything else to do with blogs. I didn’t really know what a blog was when I started out. I started it to help visitors to our place in Italy, but it has grown and I find it a lot of fun. I love it when I get comments and lots of hits each day.
Josh Vigil Says :
As I too am a newcomer to blogging this was the one blog I needed to read! Thanks for posting Myra, this book is definitely on my Christmas list! Unfortunately the odds of getting this book over and ugly corduroy dress shirt is slim to none. Thank God for receipts.
BeClear Coaching and Communication Says :
I enjoyed reading your post. Being a relatively new blogger it is reassuring to see that I’m not completely off the rails! Thank you.
Gwenelle Says :
Thanks for posting this – I think both newbies and veteran bloggers could learn something here. Like, I’ve heard some of these tips before, but others are new to me. And I really like the fact that you noted the blogger who gave each suggestion; it’s more meaningful when you can attribute bits of advice to someone who has experience and knows what they’re talking about 🙂
Lurker Says :
Great ideas! They are a great sanity check to ensure we are doing things right on our new blog too. Its very difficult to know it all when starting a new blog and helpful others like yourself have put together all these things to consider.
agardenfriend Says :
Thanks and congratulations on FP! You helped me a lot when you summarized a book waiting for me to read! Love some of the ideas and kick myself for not thinking of some. Your writing is easy to read and fun. Thanks for a creative post!
aprillaugh Says :
I’m so glad I read this. I hope to be a better blogger.
knot2share
Thank you so much for posting this. I am a newbie too in this world of blogging. The tips are very useful and I tend to agree with some. I suppose I should congratulate you for being Freshly Pressed!
Any tips from me? I am at a stage where I need them to get started and keep me going. I’d like to think that the right people will find your blog somehow. My blog is about my feelings and agree with Mary Jo Foley (as mentioned in your post) that it allows me to communicate and be honest. I blog from my heart and so does everybody out there. Trying not to hurt other’s feelings and also being honest is a tough balance to achieve.
Keep writing and sharing. Enjoy the experience.
knot2share Says :
I have just added the link to your blog, to my blogroll. Thank you!
maryawrites Says :
Many thanks. 🙂
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Shari
my tip for blogging, finish what you start. make sure that blogging is something that you definitely want to do!
Kimberly
Thanks, this has really helped me think about my own blog and why I’m writing it 🙂
Jean Huang Photography Says :
Marya, I’ve again enjoyed the part 2 of blogging tips. I love the “blog from your heart” in #6 and “be passionate about what you write” in #8. After all, if it’s not meaningful to the writer, what’s the point of writing?
Congrats, again!
What I learnt from Blogging Heroes: Top Blogging Tips PART 2 … « Blogging Future Says :
[…] posted here: What I learnt from Blogging Heroes: Top Blogging Tips PART 2 … Comments […]
Jerry Says :
I like the idea of finding a niche within a niche and becoming obsessed with it. Blog and think outside the blog: create a MeetUp group, start an old-fashioned YahooGroup and a regular website, do the social networking thing, learn how to brand your interest. Do a podcast, youtube videos. Fold all these efforts into each other. In a word, be obsessed!
misslilli251 Says :
This is alot of good advice. as a new blogger i welcome all the advice there is and all the criticisms. Now if i could find blogs to subscribe to and yea some readers would be good too.
Megz Says :
Thanks! This was helpful and really got me thinking! Where did you find the book?
maryawrites Says :
Checked it out from the local library. I am going to purchase a copy of my own. Try Amazon, book depository or any online site.
Mijito Says :
Taking away a lot of lessons from your post. Thanks! 🙂
kellij8 Says :
I like the idea of subscribing to other blogs and reading to get ideas. My problem is when I read other blogs I like I just feel kind of jealous or disheartened with my own… 😛
Sarah Says :
Very useful tips, greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Alfredo Luján Says :
Thanks for your blog. Simple, concise but with much information for every blogger
expressbywords Says :
I agree with the statement…blogging is a learning process. You keep on learning somehow more and more about the things you write and if you are able to attract readers and get comments as well, the perspective gets widened further. Thanks a lot for the valuable information on this post…Have a good day!
Deboshree Says :
Very useful advice. Will keep in mind… thank you. 🙂
And congrats on being Freshly Pressed.
El_Sid Says :
Hey Marya thanks for putting this up. I’m completely new to blogging and the blogging community but I’m loving it and this has helped put some perspective to what I want to accomplish. Great tips for those of us that are a little GREEN!
Cheers!
Nigel Featherstone Says :
What’s a successful blog? A blog that you can’t stop thinking about.
futureabroadkz Says :
You don’t have to say something, but you have something to say. That’s a successful blog for me.
I like your blogging tips, as a new blogger I highly appreciate them. They are helpful really.
Nicholas
Thank you for sharing a very helpful and informative summary of what you’ve picked up – I could easily refer back to it.
It’s interesting to see that the average blogger subscribes to 200 blogs. If juggling life for them is anything like it is for me, I wonder where they find the time to fit them in.
Have a good Christmas and New Year!
maryawrites Says :
No no, the average blogger doesn’t subscribe to 200 blogs. These top bloggers (who blog full time, have other people blogging for them, do this professionally) subscribe to this number.
I mostly look at writing blogs. And even those ones I can’t check regularly.
Nicholas
Phew! Thanks for the clarification on that one.
Other than the writing blogs you link to on your site, are there any others you’d recommend?
maryawrites Says :
YES.. many other cool ones I will be adding to my blogroll soon. Have you subscribed? 🙂
Greek n Blonde Says :
Read Part 1, read Part 2, with this “tip” I agree: A personal blog is a better platform for being yourself and communicating honestly, rather than a blog you are paid to write. You admit to your biases rather than hide it. Mary Jo Foley of All about Microsoft. I haven’t wrote yet an “about page”, this would be something I would like to write. The honesty part of blogging.
Shi Hao
Thanks for sharing. I’m sure this post is going to be featured in Hawt Posts soon too! =)
April O'Leary Says :
Congratulations on getting Freshly Pressed! I found the tips very useful. My thought on blogging is to do it to inspire others and as a tool for getting my own thoughts out there in the world and out of my head. It brings clarity and forces me to be organized with a complete thought. I think as one aims to give ideas, information, support, through their blog, they will receive (readers, advertisers, etc.)…but blogging with the intention of receiving (more readers, more pay, etc.) as the first motivation, rather than giving would surely be less successful and less rewarding. Isn’t it better to give, rather than receive? 🙂 It seems you are certainly headed in the right direction and have provided a lot of great info here. Have a great Holiday!! Thanks for the post and again, congratulations!
April
What I learnt from Blogging Heroes: Top Blogging Tips PART 1 « Mannaismayaadventure's Blog Says :
[…] final 3 tips on blogging are posted here. These also talk about how to build readership – the million dollar […]
Alessio in Asia Says :
useful!
amna Says :
Marya, part 2 is so much better than part 1, maybe because I agree with all points from 5 to 8. great job 🙂 this should make it to fresh press too 😉
notinmyplayground Says :
This is great advice – and plan to go get the book today. Our blog just started a week ago and I have felt quite overwhelmed. This has helped me get my inspiration back in tune to stick it out. Thanks for sharing the info – and the book, which I hadn’t heard of yet.
journeyexplorer Says :
wow so many comments! thx for the post, gave me some insights…I’m just a newbie and I’m bilingual so I’m struggling at the moment to write in which language and what audience I want to bring in…now I might just try both languages to broaden my readers…thanks!
Myrrh Says :
I love your blog and I’m looking forward to reading any upcoming 300-word (and I hope more) entries.
damonasumner
I enjoyed the two post concerning tips for bloggers. I’ve been blogging for about a year now and it’s been an interesting ride. I know that there are quite a few tips I will take and run with, especially the “generate thoughtful, original content”. I feel like a successful blog will live and die on the content. I look forward to more great posts!
Mariam Says :
Nice blog Marya 🙂
And interesting posts, specially this series. Worth reading and I learnt few things about blogging. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Dr. Greg Meyer Says :
I enjoyed your blog, and intend to check out several of your links. I’m new at this blogging thing, and although a lot of the tips seem like common sense, I guess that kind of sense isn’t always as common as we would like. congrats to you on your blog…thanks for writing. inspiring me to do better!
Kaia Petin Says :
Hi Marya,
I’m glad your posts here made it to the Freshly Pressed page. Very well written content & oh so interesting to those of us logging on to our own blogs!
I can identify with your comment about being a writer and not counting it. I blog for fun, and to center myself – but am taking my blogging lessons learned (and social media too) and putting them to work. Using these skills to help grow my business(es) and make a living doing what I love is a trip!
So thanks for the insights. Enjoy the summer down under!
Kaia
kaiamaeve.wordpress.com
Trend Tapper Says :
Well said and well written. You’ve presented a huge amount of good advice in an easy to present format. I plan to take your advice. 🙂
rawmultimedia Says :
quite an interesting post…I wish I had time to read books. lol. Then again I enjoy reading articles mostly, so guess what…I just subscribed to your blog, I hope to get great blog down the line.
Jason Brown Says :
I guess my first question would be, how do I make my blog site look more appealing? Isn’t this the first step to making it one that people would want to revisit? Yours looks great!
How much time does it really take to make a blog popular, because I must admit that I am doing this so that I can share knowledge on interesting things in real estate and etc, yet no one seems to really take to what I think is interesting…Please help : )
juliorvarela Says :
This is great advice. I wish you all the best with what you are doing. Yes, patience is the key, but what is cool is when you get the nice surprise response one day and it feels like you conquered the world. Best of luck.
Julio
maryawrites Says :
Hey, I know its my 15 minutes of fame … I haven’t conquered anything really. Not yet anyway. 🙂
juliorvarela Says :
But to add one more point, you need to find focus and a clear topic for your nice and stick to that niche no matter what. It is very hard to generate buzz with a general type blog, but better when you focus on a topic you are passionate about. It also means that if you tag your content with that topic, you run a better chance of showing up in search sites and thereby getting readers who are looking for your information.
maryawrites Says :
I agree. It’s just that its hard for people -like me- to find a niche when we like to blog about anything and everything. Thanks for your comments. 🙂
Kilia Says :
This was lucky!
I just set up my blog today and I saw this. Thanks for writing it, it really helps!
Panda Says :
I’m on the line with five. I sometimes like the anonymity of blogging because it allows me to say things I couldn’t otherwise say; though I export it to facebook after a ”
trail” period =P. On the other hand I wouldn’t say anything just to say it, if it offends someone I better be prepared to hear their criticism and offer some more insight or change my own opinion.
As for seven, it’s another reason why I blog. Though with the last point, I never cared for much. Writing has always been just a medium for me to release I guess. More good tips though, will try =)
theclairespencer Says :
Hey Marya, really great way to get people talking about content and writing. It’s amazing to me that we read all day, every day but rarely analyze how we bring it all together to mean something to our readers. It’s a tough job and you’re doing a great gig!
I’ve just moved my 3 blogger blogs to one new wordpress press blog on web content, social and information architecture. So if you ever feel like dropping by and telling me what works and what doesn’t I’d be happy to take on the feedback 🙂
Keep kicking goals!
maryawrites Says :
Thanks very much for your kind words. I am new at this myself — just sharing what I have learnt so far. Seems to be helping a lot of people and that is a great feeling. 🙂
niconica Says :
Awesome blog entry 🙂
Cheers
Niconica
http://niconica.wordpress.com
Where do u go to stop gaining experieance in wow | Money Talks... Says :
[…] What I learnt from Blogging Heroes: Top Blogging Tips PART 2 … […]
Eulenmaedchen Says :
To me it’s more important that you yourself are happy with what, how, when and why you write something, than to generate a lot of traffic. You could give away like one iPad a week. You would have a lot of visitors in a short period of time but not because they like you or how you write; what should be the most important thing.
All in all, a sucessful blog to me is inspiring, gets you thinking or laughing and is showing you something new OR it is well researched, can give you facts about things, that not everybody writes about and explains stuff well. No matter which category you think about (rather personal or more factsdriven) it’s the blog where you “win” knowledge and a new perspective on things, that will be sucessful in the long run rather the one where you can win prizes.
vijayblog
Great tips. Thanks for posting. 🙂
VISION MEDIA PRODUCTION Says :
WOW….To be very honest I only started blogging to display some of my work. I found it to be very easy to upload and update.. Just recently I actually got to know what blogging really is and since then I have been hooked. I actually really enjoy blogging and checking other people blog with similar interest. Must admit I have alot to learn to become a successful blogger.
Thanks for the post… Have learnt something new for sure.
jannatwrites Says :
Congratulations on the Freshly Pressed! Your condensed tips from the book are nice, especially since I don’t have time to read another book at the moment. Thanks 🙂
Krawford Says :
Thanks so much for this insightful post! Not only did you bring a book to my attention, but you’ve offered concise, delectable bite-size pieces of digestable information! I’m personally interested because I have been interested in serious blogging for sometime now, but never really knew (or know) where to start. Thanks for the tips and the book recommendation!
Zari Empire Says :
Thanks so much! Very helpful! 😉
Subscribe 2 me! 😀
haha LOL
@–}–
maryawrites Says :
🙂
Wish it were that simple …
Malik Mirza Says :
Greetings- it was wonderful to read the tag line particularly about pakistani food! However, afterwards I found that you are in Australia…… Hope you are enjoying your learning and teaching!.
Your blog is really great. I have added it in my favourites and will be trying to read it often.
Secondly, reading other’s blog: This is tough part. Could you please share your experience how do you do it? Is it easy to read that much stuff particularly when you are busy in office work and all the professional work load on a daily basis?
Third: The point in which you have mentioned: ‘Figure out what you are blogging for’ is an interesting one.
Writing daily is a challenge. How do you do it?
Last, when you have time, pls visit my blog in which my focus is to capture ideas from best selling management and business books.
thanks for the post – really enjoyed. If you have time, I would request you to be a guest blogger for my blog – you may share ideas from any best selling management, business, inspiration or self help book.
regards
Malik Mirza
http://www.wisdomfrombooks.wordpress.com
maryawrites Says :
Hi Malik. Which part of Pakistan are you from? I am from Karachi. Based in Melbourne for the past 9 years or so.
Thanks for your kind comments. I would love to write a guest post. I don’t write everyday. I stay up late to read. I snap bits and pieces of internet time throughout the day. I guess I am quite obsessive when it comes to learning.
Will have a look at your blog. As soon as I can. 🙂
paula460 Says :
First of all: thanks a lot for sharing your work.
The tip that makes more sense to me is “write from the heart” I think that’s the key about blogging. Everything else come from that fact. If you write from the hear…you’ll be a regular blogger… a respectful and thougful one to your readers, and you’ll want to know more about your theme.
I guess the heart is the key.
the_players_association Says :
excellent
Musicadelbarrio
Great and useful Tips! I assume applying those tips is another story! Keep on writing.
mesacoelsombrero Says :
Thak you for share this information. I started a blog this month and i want to lear all i can get. You have a lot of readers, i enjoy a lot the tips. I suscribe to your blog.
Happy new year!!!!
Justin Hamlin Says :
Again, very well written post. I think #8 is the most poignant. Most people think that if they write a blog, hundreds of people will read it, and keep reading it, etc.
It is a waiting game, and it is hard work. If you build it, they will come. Worked in the book/movie, and it works here too. Put in the hard work, put in the content, put in the marketing, and the visitors will come.
Right now I am happy that after 3 weeks on my blog, I average about 30 page hits a day. Only place to go from here is up!
maryawrites Says :
I totally agree. Bringing readers to your blog is hard work. I admit I have started mine about 3 months ago, but I have been an Internet junkie for the past 15 years. I research a lot, I read obsessively. I follow a lot of blogs. I work very, very hard because I love doing it. People think if this is easy … its not. Thanks for your comments. Much appreciated. 🙂
BentAljazair Says :
Thanks for sharing those tips.
I always feel puzzled by the true meaning of blogging : …a secret open diary…a personal newspaper…
blog for me or for others…blog to change the world…or just change myself?
What makes your post special is the last line…it introduces a very important question…
I wanted to answer: Why should blogs be successful?
…but I am afraid the answer deserves a whole post and cannot fit in a comment.
maryawrites Says :
Write that post on your blog and I promise to read it. 🙂
Andy Says :
Nice work. I think the point about not having to write everyday is a very valid one. I think there is nothing worse than a vapid blog that goes nowhere and doesn’t entertain. As a comedian, I generally write a lot but most of it is for stage. Sometimes I get an idea or remember a story and I often put it aside as a ‘blog idea’. Then it can take me a week or so to flesh it out and edit it.
I think if I forces myself to blog everyday my blog would end up with posts about toast and/or how comfy the couch is.
Thanks
maryawrites Says :
I agree. I think scheduling the posts is the way to go. I often write a lot when I am inspired. Often I stay up very late, after my kids have gone to bed and write first drafts of a few posts. But then, I sometimes get so busy I am not even able to sit down. Life gets in the way of inspiration, and its a big relief to know that I have already have something written down. Thanks for dropping by. Cheers 🙂
antsrants
The one that always gets me is “writing for a niche.” I had a fairly successful blogger tell me that very same thing. My blog is humor-based. Shouldn’t that be focused enough? This guy told me I should zero in on a concept like the “F.U. Penguin” blog, which to me seems very limiting. I write serious pieces as well but I don’t post them on my blog because they simply don’t fit the humor theme. Do you consider humor to be too broad of a niche?
maryawrites Says :
I am flattered that you are asking my opinion. My answer – I have no clue. I am still struggling with a lot of advice these bloggers have dished out.
One thing I am coming to realize though, one can have more than one blogs and maybe have them link to each other. This way people who subscribe to your funny one, know what they are getting? Just a thought. Thanks for your comments. 🙂
itzmeemiat Says :
Thanks a lot for sharing your blogging tips…
SherryGreens Says :
Thanks for such a useful summary! I am new to blogging too, I started only about 8 weeks ago. I have a niche (the environment) that I am passionate about and I try to write from the heart. It would be so interesting to see the stats on the number of blogs vs. the number of readers. What percentage of blogs ever reach a high number of readers? It would be helpful to know what to expect, and what is realistic. In the end you have got to love it to do it. Thanks!
misssheltonb Says :
I really appreciate this post. Being new to the blogging world, I was very interested to see this too. This looks like a must-read to me! Good luck!
rebaskittles Says :
I love this! This was a really concise and simple way to get a beginner excited about blogging. I just started blogging on a personal level and I think there is something therapeutic about it, but I also just think it’s great to connect with people on that real level. Good luck as you apply the book’s techniques to your blog. 🙂
maryawrites Says :
Thanks very much. I believe in practising first, and preaching later. Cheers 🙂
anonse erotyczne Says :
I really enjoyed the blog post. It is always nice when you can not only be informed, but also entertained!
maryawrites Says :
I would take it as a huge compliment. Many thanks 🙂
Julio Eiffelt R R Says :
Hmmm.., that’s good observation. Post is released on web/blog for reader (one of them),whatever it is theme n background. no reader = no blog
kristin konvolinka Says :
Written perfectly! And you followed my new favorite rule…Keep it short. It’s a big lesson I learned slowly (I have a lot to say and my topics of health can get really meaty) but writing and reading concise posts is much more satisfying. So, your lesson #7 is a big one for me. I’m also new at blogging. It’s a learning process, my blog and I are growing and changing. For me it’s a balance between what I see people want to read and what I want to write. If it doesn’t come from my heart I won’t be touching people at all-and that’s what we’re all here to do right? Thanks for the great post. I’m a fan!
maryawrites Says :
Thanks very much for your kind words. I agree, it does have to come from the heart to make any kind of impact. Hope to see you again soon. 🙂
Sandra Bell Kirchman Says :
That’s a big lesson for me–to keep it short. I am used to writing longer pieces, like novels, so I could use that as an excuse, but I am just fooling myself if I do. Too many words is overkill…like trying to pound in a tack with a jackhammer. I’m working on it.
tattytiara Says :
Great summaries – glad I happened across your blog! I was actually heading over to visit the blog of somebody who had commented on mine, and yours was recommended on the page advising me that the blog I was looking for no longer existed – never know where you’re going to find something worth seeing, eh?
maryawrites Says :
Actually I have found all great blogs by accident. I have yet to find a single great list of fantastic blogs – plus its so subjective anyway so I guess no such list can exist.
This is actually something that I often think about… how many great ones have I not come across yet. I guess that’s why stumble upon is so popular? Thank you.
Lidia Konar Says :
Thanks for this post. We all learn every day :). Fingers crossed for your blog:). Cheers
bagheeraface Says :
I have to admit that reading this post (and Part I, too) gave me a surge of inspiration to continue blogging. It definitely makes life and the maintaining of a blog easier when you a) have a network to inspire you to plod on and b) have a helpful list of blogging tips. Your blog, I will confess, does both. Keep up the good (and helpful) work. Happy holidays.
jollof Says :
I learnt quite a bit from your 2 articles, so thanks Marya. I think I’ll write about how I went from an average of 15 hits daily to 352 hits on Dec 17, 2010.
In my case I commented on a possible scam with an ongoing job recruitment link and since then the traffic and comments have been pouring in. If you are lucky enough to blog about what people are very interested in, use appropriate Tags and Categories (WordPress default not your customized ones) and make good use of links/URLs to sites you blog about you’ll see a drastic change in your blog stats.
Thanks again and congrats on getting freshly pressed!
Hanakiyo Says :
This was really, REALLY great information!
I am struggling with my new blog since I have trouble restricting myself. And weirdly enough I have trouble making my posts personal, despite the fact that I have quite a … strong character if I put it that way. At least that’s what people tell me!
I’m thinking of writing two different types of posts, one where I blog about East Asian music and media (which is my blog’s theme) and another one where I write more personal posts about my life. But will that make my blog too “wide” for readers to like it? Should I merge personal posts with my theme instead? It’s so hard >_< Anyway, thank you for such helpful information! o(' w ')/
maryawrites Says :
If you have a personal blog, you can pretty much write about anything you like. Post them unders separate categories so its easy for readers to find them. As you go long, you yourself will make countless changes to it depending upon what you think is right for you then. Hope that helps. 🙂
Hanakiyo Says :
Thank you, yes it did! =)
Kendrick Brix Says :
These are excellent tips. After blogging for a few years now, trying all kinds of niche writing, I’ve settled on writing for me as outlined in Tip number 6. Essays and commentary about what I’m learning as I trek through life. Once I stopped worrying about if people would read it, I started enjoying the process so much more.
Val Erde Says :
Mmm… I have one problem with most of these (familiar) elements of advice: they are mostly aimed at commercial/niche bloggers, not personal bloggers. Defining what you want to blog about, is not necessary for a personal blog – you’ll find yourself and your style as you go along.
One suggestion for you, apropos these two blog posts. Find the actual posts in the blogs you’re referring to, from which the quotes origated, and link to those. That way people can click your links and go directly to the posts. Also, if you have pings and trackbacks enabled, those bloggers will know that you’ve linked to them and, who knows, they might one day come and visit you! It’s fairly easy to find a specific post – just put a bit of the text from it into the blog’s own search engine.
🙂
Val
maryawrites Says :
I have complied these tips from the book so unfortunately there are not posts to link to. That’s why linked to their sites instead. Thanks for your suggestion.
Batya Yaniger Says :
Thanks for your post and the loads of good ideas. My idea of a successful blog is when people write comments that help me think more deeply about the topic. That makes it a creative process for me, a think-tank. How do I get people to do that?
maryawrites Says :
Maybe raise some questions in your post? Also reply to comments to further encourage discussion? Thank you for droppin by. Cheers
Holiday Blogger Says :
Thanks for sharing this. I’m quite new to blogging & I’ll try to apply those tips as possible.
Keep Blogging!! 😀
M.Waqas Says :
Nice Thankyou….
Ollin Says :
Great stuff here! All tips that I followed that made me a successful blogger. Follow her advice people! 🙂
maryawrites Says :
Thanks very much for your kind words. Hope to see you again soon. Cheers 🙂
justanothergirlintown Says :
Thank you! Your post came at a perfect time for me, a brand new blogger. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge in such an easy to read format. I’m nervous about starting, but I’m hopeful that I will “learn as I go” as your post suggested I do 🙂
maryawrites Says :
I think my whole blog philosophy is based on ‘learn as I go’ principle. I might actually add it to my truths.. see the bit on my right panel.
Thanks for your comment.
Kat Richter Says :
What great tips! It’s like the benefit of reading the book without actually reading it 🙂 Also, I love the bit on your sidebar: “Here’s to all writers, people who do nothing but write, and call themselves anything but.” I’ll drink to that!
http://www.katrichterwrites.wordpress.com
maryawrites Says :
Thanks very much for your kind words. Hope to see you again .. 🙂
inabraw Says :
Nice posts! This gonna be helpful to me – newby in blogging! Thanks
greenleafmassage Says :
I am new to the blogging world. It seems a bit overwhelming to begin, and you feel like a needle in a haystack at first with your little voice released into this big, mysterious sea. Finding like-minded others and their blogs seems equally as daunting. I am not sure I have figured out the best way to navigate those waters yet, but I’d like to find some like-minded blogs to subscribe to that I could read regularly to inspire. Anyway, thanks for distilling this book down into some quick and easy inspirational and thought-provoking tips. It was fun to read. I particularly liked being reminded that being passionate and caring about the quality of your content will determine the strength of your success.
maryawrites Says :
Hi. thanks for that. Initially I think the most important thing a blogger can do is read a lot of different blogs, and post genuine comments. This helps ease the isolation of being a small fish in the vast ocean. 🙂 It helps keep our sanity too. Good to know you enjoyed the tips, hope to see you again. 🙂
Sarah Sumner Says :
I’ve just been scanning different blogs about blogging since I just started my own blog, and I have to say that I’ve found yours the most helpful so far. I realise not all your posts are about blogging, but the ones that are have been really informative. I like the way you list things.
Thanks.
maryawrites Says :
Hi Sarah. Thanks very much for your kind words. Actually, I am going to be focusing on all things blogging from now on. (That’s why I have archived everything else). So if thats what you like the most, then you have found the right place to hang out. Welcome! 🙂
How to Get Subscribers for your Blog and Increase your Readership Says :
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