Don’t Forget to Respond!

Blog Tips No Responses »
May 312011

Sitting at your computer, you bring up your blog and see that something is different…what’s that? It’s a comment!  Someone has commented on your post!  Now what?  Well, you should reply back.  While this seems like a no-brainer, it is very important to remember to do so.  Responding to comments shows that you care about your readers and what they think, and it establishes a relationship with your readers as well.

There is an endless possibility of things that you can include in a response.  If a reader commented on how great a post was, and that post is part of a series, you could thank them and remind them to stay tuned for upcoming posts in the series.

If a reader has a question about something you wrote, try and clarify it as best as you can.  Giving specific examples of what you were talking about often makes explaining things easier.  You could also take this opportunity to share links you find helpful in explaining the topic further if they are interested.

Responding to a comment in a way that begins a discussion can be very benefiting for you.  It often will bring up topics that spark ideas for new blog posts.  If your readers are discussing a specific topic with you, they obviously want to hear more about it – and you should take advantage of that.

Most importantly, put some thought into your response.  Remember, this is an extension of your blog.

This concludes our series of posts on blogging.  We hope that you had as much fun learning some new blogging tips as we had sharing them with you!

Do you want to join the blogging community?  Visit us at startmynewblog.com and create your blog today!

Posted by Joe Como at 8:59 AM Tagged with: , , , , ,

Making a List and Checking it Twice: Is Your Blog Ready to be Published?

Blog Tips No Responses »
May 272011

You have your blog all typed up and ready to go, and that’s great! There are a few things to consider, however, before you click the Publish button.  Does your post stay on topic and flow smoothly? Is it easy to read?  Most importantly, is it useful to your reader?  These are all questions that you should ask yourself before sharing your post with your readers.

It is easy to begin your post with the topic you selected, and start to stray from it as you get further into your post.  One thing makes you think of another thing you can write about, and before you know it, you are on a completely different topic.  While you are still getting great information to the reader – it isn’t what they are reading the post for.  They are reading it for what you originally said you were going to talk about.  You don’t want to disappoint the reader!  Deliver to them what you promised in your title and opening statement.

Staying on topic is  key when it comes to making your post flow and make sense.  If you begin to change ideas every few sentences, your post will become choppy and difficult to read.

Is there a word or idea that you want to really stand out to the reader? Try bolding a word or italicize a phrase.  It will place emphasis on it, and get your reader thinking, “This must be really important for me to know.”

No one wants to read a blog that resembles their favorite novel.  Having all of your text in one continuous stream of words can be overwhelming and harder to read.  Breaking up your post into small paragraphs allows for an easier read, and it also makes skimming the post much easier on the reader.  Also, take into consideration the word count on your post.  We believe an ideal length is between 200 and 500 words.  If your word count greatly surpasses this, consider revising your post or breaking it up into 2 or 3 smaller posts.

Is your post worth reading?  Will your readers be glad that they read it?  Make sure that you aren’t rambling on about something that your readers won’t have interest in, or something that pertains to a different audience.  Writing about what you know your readers enjoy will keep them coming back for more.

One last simple question, and then you are done.  Did you check for spelling and grammar mistakes?  A simple misspelling of a word or an extra comma can make your post look unprofessional.

Did your post past the test?  If it did, congrats!  Hit that Publish button!

Excited to start a blog for your business?  Visit us at startmyownblog.com and start blogging away!

Posted by Joe Como at 9:41 AM Tagged with: , , , , ,

Are You a Creator of Creative Content?

Blog Tips No Responses »
May 252011

There are blogs dealing with virtually everything you can think of.  With many others writing blogs on the exact same things you are, how in the world are you going to make yours be the one that is read?  The secret is in the content of the post.  So, want to hear a secret?

A great way to begin separating yourself from the crowd on a particular topic is to take a different perspective on it.  Bring up a new idea or point that others have failed to mention.  This will provide a breath of fresh air for readers who have been reading the exact same thing in blog after blog.  Dare to be different.

Write down exactly what you are thinking.  Don’t try to spice things up with words you looked up in the thesaurus.  An embellished post can distract from what you are trying to share with the reader.  That being said, don’t add things to the post if they aren’t necessary.  Filler words and extra sentences are just ways of restating what you already said.  You don’t want to sound like a broken record player.  I think I just dated myself!

Make use of bullet point lists.  This is a great way to highlight your main points and shows the reader exactly what you are going to talk about.

Is there a call to action in your post?  Does it make your reader want to do something, maybe even utilize some of the services you offer?  This would be a great place to link to your company’s website so your reader can get more information on the services you offer.

While you want everyone to be coming to your blog, it is useful to include links to other blogs or websites that you find to be useful on your topic.  This allows readers to see where you go to read, and your blog could potentially get linked on those other blogs as well.  If you are indeed linked in other blogs, you have the potential for more traffic directed to your blog.  In addition, the more links there are to your blog, the higher your rank in search engine results.  Linking is simply a great way for more and more people to see your blog.

Well, the secret’s out! Using these tricks will improve your posts and make you different from all those other guys.  Happy blogging!

Would a blog help your business?  Visit us as startmyownblog.com and start blogging away!

 

 

Posted by Joe Como at 8:49 AM Tagged with: , , , , , ,

4 Great Ways to Start a Blog Post

Blog Tips No Responses »
May 232011

An effective opening statement is key when writing a blog post.  It captures the reader’s interest, and makes them want to continue reading.  The opening statement also helps to define what you are writing about, and what a reader can expect to learn by the end of the post. Lack of an opening statement can lead to confusion as to what the post is actually about, which may lead to loss of interest by the reader.

Here are some great ways to grab your reader’s attention from the very beginning of your post:

1. Ask a thought provoking question

Starting off your post with a question that leaves the reader hanging will have them reading your post, eagerly looking for the answer.  A question such as “How do I find the right business to design my website?” will leave the reader wondering, thus having them read further into the post.  The question also states what topic your article will talk about.

2. Ask a one-answer question.

Another type of question that you can begin with is one that the reader is able to answer with a simple “yes” or “no.”  “Do you want to drive more traffic to your website?” is an example of a one-answer question.  Again, this not only states what your post will be about – it also has your reader thinking that yes, they want to know how to get more traffic to their website.  They will have a reason to continue reading the post.

3. Make a claim

Stating that you will help the reader accomplish something specific will give them a reason to keep reading past the first sentence.  An example of this could be “Today, I will guide you on how to create an eye-appealing website.”  It is important to remember that when making a claim like this that you actually follow through with it in your post.  Don’t get the reader excited about helping them improve the look of their website if you aren’t going to deliver the advice.

4. Start with something unexpected

Switch it up every once and a while by starting a post with a short story, quote, or analogy.  This freshens up the post and can make it more fun to read.  For example, you could start with a witty reference to Isaac Newton.  “The other day, I had an apple fall on my head, and it caused me to realize that I need to make my website mobile friendly.”  Something like this will get the reader laughing, and then they will go on and read how to make their website available on mobile devices.

We hope that these ideas work well for you and start getting your blog noticed by more readers!

Looking to start your own blog? Visit us at startmynewblog.com, and start today!

Posted by Joe Como at 12:34 PM Tagged with: , , , , , ,

Ready? Catch! – Great Titles Get Great Results

Blog Tips No Responses »
May 202011

A catchy title is the most important part of your blog post.  But why?   Readers see a creative title and associate it with an interesting post.  If they see a very generic title, they associate it with a generic post, and might not find it worth their time to read.  The title also appears in a variety of places, such as RSS feeds, search engine results, and even links from fellow bloggers, so it is important that it stands out.

Try and keep the title relatively short.  Sometimes less really is more in terms of titles.  You can grab a reader’s attention with a short title just as much as you can with a very wordy one.  Shorter titles are also better for search engines, as the first 65 characters or so are the ones that the search engines pick up on.

One way to grab the attention of your reader is to add some humor to your title.  When done right, it can attract many readers.  Finding the right balance of humor is essential, however, for too much humor can cause your readers to not take you seriously.  If you plan on doing a humorous title, try and incorporate a few keywords into the humor, so that it is better recognized by search engines.

Another approach is personalizing the title.  Readers respond when a form of “you” is in the title.  Despite the fact that there are hundreds or thousands of people reading your blog, such a simple word can make each post more personal-feeling to the reader.  An example of this would be “How to Make Your Website Stand Out.”  See how much more personal that is than “How to Make Websites Stand Out?”

Keywords are definitely something that you should consider including in your title.  When trying to quickly find information on something, readers will skim for words relating to that topic.  If they see these words in your title, guess what they will take a few minutes to read?  Keywords in titles are also important for search engines, as they will help your blog to have a higher rank in the search results.  Having a keyword as the first word of your title will increase your ranking even more.

A couple more quick tips to consider:

Use words that you know will evoke a response.  Words such as “free” or “quick and easy” are very likely going to capture the attention of readers.

While using elaborate words may make your title look fancy and sophisticated, make sure that your audience will actually know what the words mean.  No one wants to read a post where they had to look up four of the title’s words in the dictionary.

Make sure the title pertains to what your post is about.  Don’t have a catchy phrase about boats when your post is really about computers.  This can disappoint readers and mislead search engines.

A catchy title, while very important, is only the beginning of your blogging experience.  Stay tuned for how to hook a reader by the first sentence of your post.

Ready to start your own blog? Visit us at Startmynewblog.com and start blogging today!

Posted by Joe Como at 9:31 AM Tagged with: , , , , , ,

Blog Topics, Anyone?

Blog Tips 4 Responses »
May 182011

Having trouble picking a topic for your upcoming blog post?  This can become very stressful if you are in a hurry to get your next post published.  Here are some ways for you to think of possible topics, and how to select the best one to write about.

It is best to start with a clean slate.  Grab a pen and some paper, and jot down anything that comes to mind.  Leave the paper nearby so you can add to the list as things come to mind. Don’t rush and try to come up with your list in 5 minutes, as this may keep you very close-minded and lead your ideas in the wrong direction – or even no direction.

Check local newspapers and magazines for ideas as well.  Are there current happenings that relate to your business that you could talk about?  Are there events in the community that would benefit your readers?

It also helps to think about your readers.  Picture their successes, problems, needs, and interests.  These can spark many topic ideas.   You can also consider questions that your readers or clients have been asking you.  If you have been getting many of the same questions, you could address each one in a post.  You could also be very upfront with your readers and ask them what they would like to read about.

As you continue to brainstorm using these methods, some common themes will most likely emerge.  Turn these themes into categories, and place related ideas together.  Once you have done this, there are a couple of things to consider.  Do you want to pick one single idea on a topic that you feel your readers want to hear about, or do you want to pick one of the broader categories on your list and do a series of posts about it?  The choice is up to you, neither one is better than the other.

Now that you have a good idea of what you are going to write about, stay tuned for more upcoming posts on how to make your blog stand out from the rest.


Posted by Joe Como at 3:28 PM Tagged with: , , , ,
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