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So when you start Blogging what do you need to know ?
Lets Start with the basics : What platform to choose
Blogger or Wordpress - Many people have there preferences but here are my views .
Blogger -
Bits I like
Easy to use
Good Selection of Temple
The Basic Gadgets that you need
Built in Stats
Bits I don't like
limited to 10 static pages
Not As many gadgets
Limited with the Customisation
My View on Blogger is that Blogger is a great starting platform and what I would it describe as plug and play .Its very simply to use and get going on offering a good range of gadgets and templates.
Wordpress -
Bits I like
Massive range of Templates
Massive range of Widgets
Much more customisable
Massive community making fee addons and Templates
Bits I don't like
Can get a bit confusing with all the options
A lot of widgets functionally are confusing
Overall you need a greater level of understanding to use it to it full potential
My View is wordpress is great if you know the basics about blogging and a bit of code , it is easy to setup a basic blog with wordpress but can get confusing once you get into the nuts and bolts .
Recommendations -
If you want more functionally and better control then use wordpress as it has much more developed tools and functionally .Blogger in my opinion is a great plug and play blog and is very easy to setup and start blogging .
Blogging best Patrice
Well these are the best practices:
Post Consistently
If you post daily then post at the same time so that your readers will know when to expect your content .
Keep your promises
If you say you are going to blog about a particular topic do so , people will come back if you say
Have the Posts Ready
Have one or two post ready and queued up ready to go , as you never know when you will not be able to write a post for the day.
Engage With your Readers
Do you ask a question in your posts ? If they comment then respond to each of the comments people like to know that there comments have been well recived and if you enage with them they will coem back and comment again .
General Tips for Bloggers
Commenting on other bloggers Posts
This is a important one , make sure the comment is relevant and not spam but by commenting on others posts it shows your reading and it will encrouge the blogger to look at your blog and people to wonder who you are . If you ad a good comment then people well want to see more
Forum Posts
Make posts on forums , not just quick yes no answers add meaningful content to the community that you post on this will help give you move viability and people will want to see more
Guest Posts
Offer to do guest posts on other blogs ,It will allow you to get seen by a different reader base and with more people seeing your style of content then people will hopefully want to read more .
Carnivals or Shared topics
Make sure you join in these types of posts where one blog will invite you to post about a particular topic and then link your blog along with lots of other entries
Blog rolls
A a couple of suggestions here if you add someone let then know you have added them , also don't be afraid to ask to be added to someone else's blog.
Colboration
Talk to the other bloggers and do colbaration do a series of posts together or do posts in direct answer to someone's post . By working together you are exchanging readers and expanding
Social media and Feeds
Feeds
Make sure your feeds are easy to access and in a clear place for your readers to sign up to , also don't cap your feeds as some people want to read them while at work and wont be able to access your site
Share buttons
Make sure you have share button people share alot of links via facebook and Twitter so make it easy for your readers if they want to share your posts .
Get a Twitter account and get tweeting ,it takes time to build up followers but its agreat platform that people can see when a new post come up .Also look at the different services that will auto tweet for you so if you are out and a post goes live it will then Tweet it .
Hope that helps
Zoxy
Thanks So much for this Zoxxy, Being new to the blog community and still working on the quality of my content, I never realized how many things I overlooked, I'll admit is is very daunting seeing quality blogs like this one and some of the other big guns, and then trying to post content of my own. I never said it, however it would be polite, thank you for the add, and I will be coming back to this post frequently. thank you again!.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post Zoxxy, i am also new to this blogging business,solid information you gave ,but funny thing you made this post, in my Blog i made a similar question about this subject 1 day or 2 ago and got some pretty good feedback.If we all like this game and love to talk about it the more we share,read,write,discuss the better we fell ,at least i think this way .
ReplyDeleteAnd now just a self promotion ^^ my blog--->"http://fightingcoin.blogspot.com/"
I take it you are referring to self hosted wordpress here (i.e. wordpress.org)? Remember that, as an alternative to Blogger, there is a similar service provided at Wordpress.com
ReplyDeleteA nice intro to blogging tho, and just what lots of people are looking for. I remember being a little overwhelmed when I started up a year ago and it would have been nice to read something like this then.
Hi Zoxy, I'm just getting started with publishing my various strategies and info on my gold making blog, and my template has a Twitter link. Now I currently use my personal Twitter to *blush* fill with #echobazaar game spam *ahem*. Anyway, I'm going to need a new "business" Twitter. Do you think I should get a new email address for this, and if so, where from? Or is there some other less complicated way to sort out my dilemma?
ReplyDeleteps, adding you to my links on the website now ;)
@Syntakating - Pleased it helpful , but you have good content and just keep writing regardless of what the big guns post and if your are like me you don't think your stuff is quality :) , but i have enjoyed reading yours so keep up the good work
ReplyDelete@Alberthus - Ah i have seen your name and you on my blog roll for my new site .... I wll pop by later and have a read as well
@moravec I was meaning free for both , but I am going self hosted :)
@The Gold Queen
I suppose the thing to consider is when building a brand - what do you what people to see . If you want your real name to be associated with your site cool if not I would suggest something like gmail or similar free email and then a new Twitter account for your blog .
The other option is to go self hosted and get a email @thegoldqueen.com or similar
Thanks, that's really helpful!
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