10 blogging tips

Inspired by Meredith’s #5 on her list, I hearby give you my 10 tips for bloggers.

1. To repeat Meredith, if you blog on blogger or have a blogger account please activate your email so the person you comment to can reply to you. I often get questions and have to hunt down the author of the question at one of their multiple blogs listed (more on that later), find a current one and answer in the comments. Frustrating. If your email is attached I can just reply to your comment from my inbox. Easy.

2. If you have multiple blogs in blogger make one your website. There are a couple of ways to do this. Go to your dashboard and under Edit User Profile you can choose which blogs to display. If you have a test blog or a blog that’s private, choose not to show that one. You’ll still see it, but no one else will. That way people coming to your profile page won’t be confused about what is your real blog.

Another way to do it is to scroll down in the Edit User Profile page and find Homepage URL. Enter the blog that you want people to find when they come to your profile. This will show up at the top of your profile page as My Web Page.

3. Turn off the comment verification code. Unless you get tons of comments that include spam or anonymous mean comments, you don’t need comment verification. Turn it off. It’s annoying.

Here’s how. Go to setting from your dashboard. Then comments. Scroll down to Show Word Verification for Comments. Choose no. Save. Thank you.

4. Turn off the music. Ok, I realize this is a preference thing, but I really hate the music. I keep my speakers muted because of blaring music that startles me on blogs. It’s almost like blasting me with scent. Imagine if you could add smell to your blogs. I’d have to stop reading.

5. Again, personal preference but I cannot read white text on a black or dark background. Amy Bayliss talks about why using simple and soothing colors on your blogs makes readers stay longer.

6. If you’re on twitter (twitter, blogging it all goes together, right?) Musings of a Housewife has instructions here on making your own twitter background. And, hey if you’re on twitter and I don’t have you as a follower, leave your twitter handle in the comments so I can add you. Mine’s @afamiliarpath.

7. If you’re not on twitter or if you have joined and you’re not sure what to do next, go get the Smart Girl's Guide to Twitter. I’m an affiliate for this book (disclosure!).

8. I get asked a lot about the copywrite on my pictures. You can add your own using any photo program that allows you to type text onto your photo. I do mine in Photoshop Elements, but you can use the free editing program Picnik too.

9. Get a blog button. Make it yourself, hire someone or ask a friend, but get a button designed to match your blog and make it available on your sidebar with the html below to so people can easily grab it. It’s a good way to advertise your site.

10. Follow this blog. Ah, I know, not really a blogging tip. My followers are displayed at the bottom of this blog and I’m almost to 200. Not a grand number compared to many bloggers, but I’m very excited. I love my readers. I want to do a special giveaway when I reach 200 so help me get there!