.JPG)
1. Return the favor.
If fellow bloggers read your posts and leave comments, why not do the same for them? Acknowledge their comments by replying directly on your post or via email. Then, visit their blogs, read their latest articles and leave a comment.
2. Be consistent.
If you post once a week, choose the day of the week that provides you some extra time to do so. Otherwise, let your readers know your posting schedule so they can visit you on that/those day(s). And when you take a hiatus, a sabbatical, or vacation let your readers know. They'll appreciate it and they will resume readership on the date announced.
3. Focus on the purpose of your blog.
Try not to post topics unrelated to the central idea of your blog (unless that's your purpose). Doing so will only confuse your readers (especially new followers who are not yet familiarized with your blog).
4. Be Brief.
Articles that are too long discourage readers. Remember blogging is not a job for some of them. Therefore, they only have a time frame dedicated to this activity.
5. Be respectful.
Avoid sarcasm, scathing comments, and egocentrism. Readers want to learn, have fun, and most importantly, connect with other fellow bloggers.
Can you think of other helpful tips? How serious are you about blogging?
I've been blogging for six years now, and I admit to sinning regarding the first four of your tips :)
ReplyDeleteI've lost a few along the way! LOL!! When I first started I followed whoever commented and followed my blog - now I'm so way behind joining those who are following my blog and commenting - it's just physically impossible to keep up especially when I tend to sneak a peak at blogs mainly while at work!
ReplyDeleteBut I so agree with all of the above!! I would add also to always acknowledge bloggers' blogs if what they wrote have directly inspired your blog post!
I like to keep my blog lighthearted and silly and as eclectic as possible! I guess I do this for the fun of it more than anything serious!!
Take care
x
Hi Michael,
ReplyDeleteNo more sinning! WOW! six years, that's a blogging milestone!
Hi Jennifer,
I know it's difficult to keep track of everyone but at least you try to keep in touch with your regular readers and those who leave comments. Thank you for adding your tip. And yes, your blog is funny and whimsical. That's why I like it and love Charlie's comments, too. ;)
Reading Old Kitty's comment: her blog is wonderful; what that woman can do in a short space! But she's right about the time involved. It IS physically impossible to "keep up" with everyone you COULD keep up with. You have to decide what the point of it is for you. As Old Kitty says, she does it for fun. I have to admit that I do it because, first, my publisher said I needed to get into social media for book promotion before they would sign the contract. I can't physically do a book tour (and I don't think very many writers can; too expensive), so I did it online. But where do you go from here? There are other outlets besides blogging. I have decided, though, that because I have made so many good friends from blogging, I want to keep in touch with as many of them as I can. It really does, I think, come down to what you have time to do, and what you want/need to do.
ReplyDeleteA good list, Claudia. The only one I'm wondering about, for me, is the Purpose of the blog. I call my blog a "personal" blog, in view of the fact that I wrote a memoir. Most of my followers have said they like this. I don't feel a need to do anything else. Why write about "writing?" How much can you SAY about writing? Personally, I prefer a "personal" approach. I like to know who the blogger is--whatever he/she is willing to share about their family/their life/where they live. I just like to read about people!
Ann Best, Author of In the Mirror, A Memoir of Shattered Secrets
Thanks for the post, and for stopping by my blog. I'll see you, too, on Twitter--when
These are all excellent tips. #1 is very appropriately placed at the top of your list. Even if you get behind, it's never too late to respond to someone's comment or to visit their blog. When I leave a comment, I'm always happy when the blogger responds, even if only to say "thanks".
ReplyDelete#4 "Be brief" is also a valuable tip. My own posts sometimes become rather long, and I wonder if anyone will actually take the time to read all the way through. I try to put up shorter stuff to balance it out.
"Be consistent" is the most challenging for me. What's your biggest challenge Claudia?
Btw, your blog seems to be loading quickly and smoothly again. Good job.
Dear Ann,
ReplyDeleteYour publisher is right. Now that your book is out you need a platform. Take advantage of social networking; it's free and it can help you promote your book. ;)
You're right, since your book is a memoir then your blog is personal, approachable, and inspiring. I've experienced many ups and downs in my writing path; therefore, I wanted to dedicate my blog to helping aspiring writers in a fun, yet approachable way (and for FREE!). I try to keep my personal life out of it because I write literary fiction. I want to focus on my promise: inspire new writers to keep writing by providing the tools I learned when I started. Thanks for sharing your comments.
Dear Chris,
Your blog is really nice. Your articles, poems, and advice are easy to read. I think they're pretty concise, so no worries there ;)
To answer your question, posting on the same day every week can prove a challenge for me sometimes. I do, however, post weekly even if it's not on the same day ;)
Thank you Claudia . . . your words are perfect for a small time blogger like me. I love your posts and I thank you for sharing so much of your experience and knowledge! I just know that when I write for my blog, it is truly coming from the heart, it is the only way I know how to write!
ReplyDeleteDonna
Hi Donna,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your comment with us. Writing from your heart, I love it! That's another good tip to add to the list. Your readers will know what you blog about when they read your profile or the title of your blog.
I added myself to your list of followers ;)
Thank you for reading my posts.
Great tips. I first started blogging just to establish a web presence for agents and editors. Now that I have an agent, I'm now more focused on building relationships and making friends, which means leaving comments, following those who follow me, etc. I'm still trying to figure out which days work best for me and receiving traffic.
ReplyDeleteHi Isis,
ReplyDeleteGlad you found these tips helpful. Blogging is also a good way to connect with people of similar interests. Some bloggers even become good friends ;)
Do you have sitemeter? Give it a try. This will help you determine which days you have more traffic. I like having this tool.
See you soon in the blogosphere!
These are all very sound and commonsense tips - but worth saying. My blog began as a family record starting from 1870 when the first Keytons hit Liverpool from Cork, so in its early phase its a social record/family history for a family that has now scattered across the world. But the title of the blog allows me some latitude for nonsense. I sympathised with one of your commentators who said she couldn't/didn't like writing about the writing process. I couldn't do that - bit like a centipede thinking where to put its legs - so for me the blog is a disciplined act of writing for the sake of writing. One tip I would give though is never to post more than once a week because sometimes people have nothing to say, and of course it eats into time that you could be using for sorting out the WIP. Great post, Claudia - along with the comments.
ReplyDeleteHi there Mike,
ReplyDeleteGlad you agree with the tips. I love your tip about posting frequently. That one is tricky. This works for some people and their blogs. I know I couldn't do it due to lack of time and things to say. When I started my blog, I posted every day, then I realized I couldn't dedicate too much time to my blog. Recycling posts was no fun for me or my readers :(
So I decided to post once a week. Like I replied to Ann, I don't like mixing my personal life with my professional life. If I ever decide to do that, I would create a separate blog. I don't mind writing articles about the writing process and sharing my experience/knowledge with others. I guess that's the teacher in me. Teachers "teach" even when they're not in the classroom ;)
Thanks for your kind words, Mike.
Those are great tips. I think returning the favour and visiting other blogs are key to building relationships.
ReplyDeleteHi Talli,
ReplyDeleteYep! I try my best to follow my own tips ;)
I believe in complying with good social networking etiquette just as one would in a professional environment. You never know what may become of such relationship ;)
My blog started as a repository for my stories because of computer crashes and lost zips. I write satire (I think) and humor. I write some rants, but I doubt if I know what a scathing remark is, as much is caustic, but I have rave comments that I have to delete regularly. I just started writing and don't know what to expect.
ReplyDeleteHi Dan,
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by and sharing your experiences as a writer/blogger. I know you left two messages but I only see one published. Computers! they have a mind of their own :(
Humor is always good. Just go with your gut feeling. Also, read your followers' comments and take it from there. You can learn a lot from your readers and fellow bloggers. Hope to see you around. ;)
Great list. I'd add for the number one that it's not really about a ping-pong dynamic. It's not a youcomment-Icommentback thing. Well, maybe it is for the first few times, but you can't function like that. Taking genuine interest in somebody else's blog and reflecting it in your comment will make you a lot more successful.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Ben. Unfortunately, the blogosphere doesn't usually work like that. If you've already established a strong following what you suggest might work (I know that from experience). However, at first you have to do the legwork (the ping-pong dynamic you mentioned). If you fail to this from the get-go chances are those bloggers won't visit your blog. That being said, I do agree with your comment and I wish this were the reality of blogging. ;)
ReplyDeleteWell, it's the reality for me. :O) I pay the price in terms of blogger-readers, but in the end, my readership grew bigger and stronger, I find.
ReplyDeleteHmmm? Now I have read these replies by my fellow blogonauts I feel ashamed - I now realise I'm a bad blogger. I post anything between a week and four weeks, and because I'm wrapped up in the ongoing story I've fallen into on my blog, some of the posts are in excess of 1500 words... Eek!
ReplyDeleteAnd there was I wondering why I wasn't getting feedback/comments? My (assumed) readers had died of tedium