A Post about Blogging

by LZ on January 11, 2010

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I’m not an expert.

I’m often at a loss for post ideas, and I am constantly making design and layout changes. I would be a lot worse off if I didn’t stumble on some excellent resources. Some of my favorite bloggers have generously shared their tips on making your blog the best it can be.

Does your blog need some help? Do you have tips of your own to add? Please send me the link or add it to the comments. Now read some of my favorite posts for blogging help or inspiration:

Writing:
Writing is first for a reason. Your content is the most important part of your blog. You may have a beautiful design, but if you don’t produce quality, consistent content, whether it be great posts, photos, recipes, etc., people aren’t going to come back.

Writing Great Blog Posts:
12 Essential Blogwriting Tips for Building a Successful Blog, from Write to Done
18 Resources to Help you Write Better Blog Titles, from Blogussion
5 Ways to Make your Posts More Readable, from NateWhitehill.com

Writer’s Block?
31 Ways to Find Inspiration for your Writing, from Write to Done
100 Ways to Find Ideas for your Blog Posts, from Steve Aitchison, LifeSnips

Need Practice? Want someone else to give you a topic?
The One-Minute Writer
Write or Die
Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop, from Mama’s Losin’ It {updated}

Design:
Blog Design and Sidebars and Pages, from Playgroups are No Place for Children

Blog Promotion and building traffic:
5 Ways to Decrease Blog Traffic and Kill your Community, from Angela England, via Blissfully Domestic
How Not to Comment, from Scary Mommy
Turning one-time visitors into repeat readers, from Absolutely Bananas

Time Management:
This is the area where I have the most trouble. I get online to write a post and I get sucked into Twitter, tweaking my blog, Facebook, etc. I recently put together a schedule that I am trying my hardest to stick to. It calls for posting 3-4 times per week, reading and commenting on blogs in my reader, blog tweaking, and socializing. So far, so good.

Fitting blogging into your life without losing your mind, relationships, and waistline, from Absolutely Bananas
Time Management in the Blogosphere, from Playgroups are No Place for Children

Social Media:
Twitter:
Twitter Etiquette: A guide to getting unfollowed, from Scary Mommy {This just about sums it up. Don’t be annoying on Twitter. It’s as simple as that.}

StumbleUpon:
10 Simple Steps to Increase Blog Traffic via StumbleUpon, from How to Make my Blog
StumbleUpon is like Crack, by me!
How to Write Posts that Set StumbleUpon on Fire, by Skellie on ProBlogger

Want more info? Check out:
5 Essential Pieces of Advice for the New Blogger, Absolutely Bananas
Blog Tips, Playgroups are No Place for Children
Bloggingbasics101
Blogussion
How to Make my Blog: for those using the Thesis theme for Wordpress
Write to Done

Please visit these great bloggers for so many more bits of helpful advice. I couldn’t possibly fit in all the great posts they have written.

What other tips or posts have read that worked for you? Please share in the comments.