Writer’s Workshop – Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps
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| Photo by photoxpress |
Looking back to the first post on this blog it has been about 5 years since I have been blogging on my own domain. I made the switch from blogger/wordpress to self hosted wordpress and haven’t looked back then. It has been a sharp learning curve for me and this blog has gone through a lot of revisions before it’s current look.
If I had the resources and help that I have back then it won’t be such an uphill battle and I would have a better idea on how to take this blog to a higher level without facing all the problem I did.
Here are 10 blogging tips which I would have shared with myself back then
- Get A Coach.
Enrol in a free blogging course or join a blogging community so that you will know how to plan your blogging schedule and directions before starting the blog.
- Choose a Good (memorable) Domain
Before deciding on your domain name do check first to see if anyone has trademark the name that you wish to use. I decided to go with my name as the domain name as it’s easier for me to remember and helps with personal branding.
- Go for the simplest theme.
As if now I’m using the default twenty-ten theme with this blog. It’s not worth investing in premium themes or using complex themes unless you are able to tweak it to perfection yourself. I once messed up one of themes and it ended up in truncated posts and the sidebar going crazy. - Separate your domain and hosting providerNever place your domain together with your hosting. Register your domain separate with companies like Name.com. It was a bad move to host my domain together with the hosting the and it costs extra just to move your domain around.
Don’t fall for the gimmick free domain for life as most of the time you won’t be able to be with them “for life” even if you wanted to. - Submit your site to blog directories/search engines/ ezines
Add and list your site to as many places as possible. If they do need you to place their badge or link to your site keep it on a separate links page. In this way you will keep your main page clutter free and build up links for your site.
- Watermark Your Pictures It helps to actively protect your own intellectual property from scalpers. I recently was alerted by a friend that one of the photos which I posted online being lifted by an offending site. I immediately ordered that site to remove the picture as it infringed on my copyright. Luckily they took it off or else I’ll be barraging them with legal actions. Another “protection” feature which I enabled is the “no-right click” on photos on this blog to make it harder to “lift” photos.
- Don’t be overly obsessed by statistics
Work on the content of your blog instead on obsessing over page ranking and stats. Small or large numbers may not relate to an increase in revenue for the blog. Fussing over numbers can lead one to be depressed or even get sidetracked from churning out great content to fuel the blog.
- Set a comfortable pace for yourself
There are many so-called gurus in the blogosphere who suggest that you post daily so that it will optimize your bid to draw in traffic. However if you are working full-time or have a lot on your plate it may wear you thin if you pursue this path. Do what you are comfortable with, once a week, twice a week or daily if you can cope. At present I normally post during the weekdays as weekends are reserved for family activities and spending time with the kids.
- Be sociable
Make it easy for others to share your posts and subscribe to your feeds/pages . I use the “easy share” plugin so any post that I write is easily added on by re-tweeting, liking on facebook or google +
- Stop comparing with A-listers
It can be very discouraging if you compare yourself with other successful bloggers. You write for yourself and sooner or later will be able to join forces with other like minded bloggers and build up a community for yourself.
August 4, 2011 @ 6:40 pm
I think one of the first things you need to do is to decide what you wish to accomplish with your blog. If it is just to keep up with friends and family you will go about it differently than if you hope to make some money off it.
August 4, 2011 @ 6:45 pm
True.. but for me at that time it was important that the blog be able to generate enough revenue to cover the hosting and domain costs. Thanks for stopping by.
August 4, 2011 @ 7:09 pm
I think I will take your advice about watermarking my photos. They sometimes show up on facebook, it is flattering, however I should be a little more careful. I like your suggestion of getting a blogging coach, so far I have counted on friends that are learning as they go just like me.
August 4, 2011 @ 11:03 pm
@Lisa,
I suggest you check out Blogelina.com ..there are many good tips there. I just stumbled upon her site and joined her free tutorial course as it’s always good to take a refresher to help me mantain focus.
August 4, 2011 @ 8:29 pm
Great advise…we choose the same prompt. I wish my blog name was shorter…it is a pain.
August 4, 2011 @ 9:43 pm
Great tips! I think the one about setting a comfortable pace is the issue I struggle with most, especially when there are young children about.
August 4, 2011 @ 11:23 pm
Good advice. And I enjoyed reading it!
=)
August 5, 2011 @ 12:25 am
Great tips! The “watermark your pictures” tip is invaluable. I began making an effort to watermark all my pictures, but have gotten a bit lazy these past weeks. In my experience, and if nothing else, it (or watermarking your images) gives you a peace of mind about your presence (and your children’s presence) online.
August 5, 2011 @ 12:46 am
Great tips! I wish I had done more research before I started.
August 5, 2011 @ 1:13 am
I have an issue with leaving comments, SPECIFICALLY with A-listers, because OMG I AM NOT AS SPECIAL or WORTHY! And then when I do get up the gall to comment and they respond I am a lovestruck fan girl! Now, if only I could be better about commenting on EVERYONE’S blogs. Thanks for the fabulous post by the way. 🙂
August 5, 2011 @ 3:44 am
great tips. i’d like to know more about the no right click option for photos!
August 5, 2011 @ 7:56 am
@Cam,
I use this plugin WP-Copyright-Protection. You can search for it under “ADD PLUGIN” via the dashboard in your wordpress blog
August 11, 2011 @ 5:06 am
thank you! I just added it!
August 5, 2011 @ 9:58 am
great tips! Thanks for sharing {:-Deb
August 6, 2011 @ 9:27 am
Wonderful tips!
August 11, 2011 @ 5:43 am
What wonderful tips! I’ve bookmarked this to read again when I have time to ponder a bit more.
I’ve been debating accepting bloghers offer to link to them, but have so far declined. I’m just not sure if it would ruin the reason I blog…which is really just cheap therapy – ha!
Thanks for a perfectly informative link to the letter “P”.
A+
August 11, 2011 @ 7:43 am
@Jenny,
I declined blogher ads too as I feel they take up too much space in the sidebar and don’t like the fact that they stipulate that you can’t do reviews or other types of advertising together with their ads. I feel that it’s too much limitations and I want to keep my options open on generating revenue from the blog to cover at bare minimum the hosting/domain charges.