Tuesday, September 26

Thinking About Blogging? Read This Article First!

Blogging is a wonderful way to get what you want to say out to the world, and make a little money doing so. There are many ways to go about this, and this article is filled with helpful tips to get you started. Take some time to read these tips, and see how you can enhance your blog.

Use tags correctly. Tags let you categorize your posts into different categories, which can then be searched by readers. Each of your posts should have two or three tags. Make sure you use the same words for similar posts (don’t have a “bikes” and “biking” tag, for example), and don’t give posts too many tags, as this tends to clutter up categories.

Use the correct spam filter for comments. If you require registration to comment, a CAPTCHA on the registration page is usually sufficient to keep spammers away. If you allow anonymous comments, an “advanced CAPTCHA,” that is, one that asks the user for “the number of hours in a day” or something similar is usually enough. Avoid services like Akismet, as these produce lots of false positives.

If you are starting your own blog, you probably won’t have a multitude of readers and comments right away. You will have to search out people and show them you exist. Some ways to do this are with social networking, such as
Facebook and Twitter. Use these sites to communicate with people, not just to post links.

It is extremely important that you are authentic. Don’t seem like someone who knows everything. Be open and honest. Always remember to do this. There’s no better way to express yourself than through a blog. Reaching for perfection is great, but don’t dwell on it. If you aren’t right, then you aren’t right. No two people are exactly alike, so be happy you are you.

An easy thing to do, that will assist your readers review pertinent material in your blog, is to include bullet points. These not only aid the reader in scanning, but will also break up your entry into a more easy to read piece. Make your bullets bold to enhance the ease of use as well.

Pay attention to what font you are using, the text size you choose, the color scheme you have in place and the title of your blog. All of these different factors affect how easily people can read what you have written. You want to make your blog user-friendly to everyone.

Your blog must offer compelling and unique content in order for it to be successful. For example, you should not simply provide news updates that can be found elsewhere. There are many blogs that already do this, and many of them are not successful. Make your blog stand out by offering your own unique opinions, or by creating content that cannot be found elsewhere.

Your blog goes much further than just your posts. It may look like just a collection of various articles, but it’s so much more. To be a successful blogger, your blog needs a presence. This is created by your posts and comments, both on your blog and other online sites.

Incorporate sharing widgets for social media sites. As you strive to build your readership base, social networking is a perfect way for your readers to share with others. By offering opportunities for your blog to be broadcast to friends and family, you will drive your follower base up drastically.

Do not start a blog entry unless you are sure that you can sit down and finish the entire thing. You want to let your mind stay on task, and if you have to stop for any reason, it will be very hard to pick up where you left off.

Always remember that the quality of your blog is of the utmost importance. If you do not have incredible quality content, then your readers will not come back for more from you. You need to give your viewer base powerful articles that make them want more and more from you.

Now that you have read some tips about blogging, it is time to apply them. Make sure that you have all the knowledge that you need so that your blog will be a success. Work hard on your blog, and the rewards that you get will be well-earned.