Blog better every day: My daily blog tips from January 2011

February 1, 2011

tags: #DailyBlogTip, advice, blogging, Daily Blog Tip, tips, Twitter

by Wade Kwon

Throughout 2011, I share a daily blog tip via my Twitter account, @WadeOnTweets, at 6 a.m. CST.

You can …

Ask follow-up questions in the comments.
Tweet out your favorites.
Follow #DailyBlogTip on Twitter.
And follow me on Twitter at @WadeOnTweets.

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The tips for January …

Start the new year by renewing your goal to blog on a regular schedule, even just once a month.
Define your topic in 1 sentence before writing. Otherwise, you’ll ramble and lose readers.
Leave comments open. Nothing says “I mistrust readers” than closed/moderated comments.
Set aside time to put together several posts. Batching saves time.
Obscure headlines are bad for SEO. Clear headlines can be clever and still be SEO-friendly.
“People don’t share meh. People share awesome.” – @unmarketing. You gotta make your posts *awesome*.
In a rut? Different posts to try: photos, questions, lists, videos (shared or original), Q&A, guest posts.
What’s your blogging fear? Define it, name it, challenge it head on. It’s not as bad you might imagine.
Never start a post with the dull cliche, “I was wondering what to blog about when …”
Blogging is about making mistakes. Success in blogging is about making them and learning from them.
Read other blogs, and leave meaningful comments. Good for ideas, networking, marketing.
What’s your comment policy? Define it, publish it, enforce it. Boundaries are important.
Design vs. content. Only one really matters to audience, search engines — and it’s not design.
Label your embedded videos for SEO purposes.
Wade Kwon’s rule: Content first. Monetization second (or never).
Read Problogger.net for tips, ideas and trends in blogging.
For the Martin Luther King Day of Service today, donate your post to a local nonprofit org.
I got rid of Google Adsense on my blogs. Maybe you should, too.
Reach out to another blogger by e-mail, or even by phone. Build your network one connection at a time.
It’s not about the blogging platform I recommend. It’s about the one that helps you go faster.
Offer to do guest posts for your favorite blogs. You’ll almost never be turned down.
Wade Kwon’s secret formula for better writing: Make each story you write better than last one. Every. Time.
Read your posts from a year ago. Are you getting better, or are you in a rut?
Hitting “Publish” isn’t the end. Must promote your post by newsletter, social media, social bookmarking.
Think ahead to next month. What timely series could you start planning right now?
Check YouTube for relevant videos. You’d be surprised how easy it is to jazz up a post with good videos.
Linking out is generally better than no links. An exception: to focus readers on your products/services.
Resize your photos for Web use. Don’t force your readers to sit through loading of 1MB+ pics.
Promote your company blog on website’s front page, in newsletters, in printed material, in social media.
Don’t take entire posts or photos from sites without permission or a Creative Commons license in effect.
Use automated Google searches on your name, blog name and domain name to find links, content thieves.