Archive for the ‘Blogging Tips’ Category
The importance of user generated content
As I have said so many times before, it can be really difficult to get a new blog established. It takes a lot of time to setup a blog, pick a theme, install the necessary plugins, and come up with creative tag lines to attract the attention of your readers. On top of all that, you still need to fill your blog with content.
If you are looking for an easy way to fill your blog with content, you should become familiar with the concept of user generated content. This simply means that your users are creating some of your content for you. There are several ways you can do this and each method has pros and cons. Take the time to figure out which method will serve your blog the best.
One of the safest ways to add user generated content to your blog is through a WordPress plugin called FV Community News. This simple plugin will create widgets that you can add to your sidebar. One widget will allow your readers to create a blurb of info that will be displayed on your site. You can mediate all blurbs before they are displayed. A secondary widget is actually used to display the blurbs in your sidebar!
Another great way to get user generated content on your blog is through a different WordPress plugin called TDO Mini Forms. Unlike the FV Community News plugin, the blurbs that users contribute are inserted into posts. After you approve these posts they show up on your blog like any other post that you would create!
![[del.icio.us]](http://thebloggingcenter.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/delicious.png)
![[Digg]](http://thebloggingcenter.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/digg.png)
![[Feed Me Links]](http://thebloggingcenter.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/feedmelinks.png)
![[Google]](http://thebloggingcenter.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/google.png)
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![[LinkedIn]](http://thebloggingcenter.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/linkedin.png)
![[Reddit]](http://thebloggingcenter.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/reddit.png)
![[Squidoo]](http://thebloggingcenter.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/squidoo.png)
![[StumbleUpon]](http://thebloggingcenter.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/stumbleupon.png)
![[Technorati]](http://thebloggingcenter.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/technorati.png)
![[Twitter]](http://thebloggingcenter.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/twitter.png)
![[Windows Live]](http://thebloggingcenter.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/windowslive.png)
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Filed under Blogging, Blogging Tips
Get more comments on your blog
If you do not have an established reader base for your blog, you may find it difficult to get people to comment on your posts. You should not feel bad that you aren’t getting any comments – just take a moment to realize that it takes a while to get a blog established.
There are things that you can do to encourage your readers to leave a comment. The first thing you might consider doing is adding a few “dummy” comments to some of your posts. This will make your blog look active and may encourage others to add their own comments to your blog. Sometimes people just don’t want to be the first to comment! If you don’t have the time to create these “dummy” posts, there are writing companies out there that you can pay to do this for you!
The next thing you might want to consider is establishing a system that rewards your readers. This is easier than you might think. There are plugins for WordPress like “Top Commentators” that will allow you place a widget in your sidebar. This widget displays the names of the commentators who have posted the most. You can adjust certain settings on the widget, including how frequently it is reset and how many names are shown. Once you set up this widget, it pretty much takes care of itself. You may be surprised how many people want to see their name in your sidebar!
The last thing you always want to make sure to do is reply to comments. When you see the comments start to roll in, make sure you take the time to respond to them. If nothing else, thank the person for stopping by!
Filed under Blogging, Blogging Tips
Give new changes to your blog a chance to flourish
In the process of getting your blog up and running, you will probably make a whole list of different changes. You may change the color scheme, where you have placed your ads, how many articles are seen on the first page, and any number of additional things you can think of.
The problem with making a change to your blog is that it might affect how your readers enjoy the site. Now if you are making changes, you are probably hoping to increase your readership. Some changes will work while others will not.
In order to determine the effect of the changes on your readers, it is important plan accordingly. Make a list of the changes that you want to make on your blog and then implement them one at a time. Of course if you have a bunch of little changes like typos and things of that nature, you can go ahead and do them all at the same time. Changes like that are generally best corrected immediately!
For bigger changes, you want to allow each one at least a few weeks time before you can expect to see any differences. If your site is already very popular, you may notice differences very quickly.
Once you have determined if your change has been successful or not, you can move on to the next item on your list. If you implement all your changes at one time, you will never know which ones are successful and which ones have stunk!
Filed under Blogging Tips, Traffic and Blogs
Strategies to organize your blogging information
Blogging is a pretty addictive hobby that can quickly become complicated and out of control. This is particular true for bloggers that run more than one site. For each blog that you operate, you probably have several accounts associated with each one, tons of files, and lots of research.
If you want your blogs to be successful, it is a good idea to organize all of your information. This will also help to make your life a lot easier because you don’t have to spend all day looking for a particular password that you scribbled on a piece of scrap paper that you unfortunately spit your gum into and threw it in the trash.
Take a look at your computers desktop. Do you have files related to your blogs scattered all over the place? If you do, you need to create a single file on your desktop called “blogs.” Inside of this folder, create individual folders for each blog that your run. Inside of these folders you can create additional folders for images, articles, blog themes, and whatever else you might need.
Tip: I just mentioned a folder called articles. As an additional step for keeping my blog backed up, I keep a copy of every article I post saved in its own separate file on my desktop.
I also like to keep an account file in each of the folders for my individual blogs. This account file includes a list of every relevant account that I have created to support the blog. This can include a password to an affiliate program, an email account, or even information related to a social networking account.
Once you set your file structure up, you can start shuffling all of your files into their corresponding folders. You’ll quickly notice how easy it is to find things and you’ll never spend hours hunting for that lost password or account information again.
Filed under Blogging Tips
Easy ways to backup your WordPress blog
Blogging is a surprisingly time consuming task. You have to update your blog on a regular basis for an extended period of time before you are likely to develop any real traffic to your site. After spending hours and hours getting your blog up and running, the last thing you want to deal with is a crash that destroys all of your hard work.
It is so important to backup your blog. With regular backups, you can avoid the painful process of trying to rebuild your blog from scratch. There are multiple ways that you can backup your blog and they require very little effort on your behalf.
Before we get into specifics, it is important to understand the two major things you will want to backup: the actual database and all of the files (pictures, etc.) you have uploaded for your blog. Both the database and the files can be backed up separately using different methods.
For the files, it is easy to back them up in a method similar to the way you probably uploaded them. Open up your FTP client and connect to the blogs files. Simply copy them over to a folder on your computer. This folder can then be backed up on a DVD or external hard drive for an additional layer of safe keeping.
For the database, there is an easy to use plugin called WP-DPManager. In addition to backing up your database, this plugin will also help you optimize it in order to achieve the best possible performance.
Filed under Blogging, Blogging Tips
Diversify your monetizing strategies for your blog
If you are attempting to earn some extra money through your blog, it is extremely important to diversify. Many bloggers immediately place Google ads in strategic locations on their site and then wait for a lucky reader to click on them. Over time, you may notice that your Google Adsense account begins to grow and you are fast on your way to that first $100 payout.
I just recently talked about the fluctuation of Adsense earnings. Most bloggers have noticed swings (both up and down) in their account and can testify that this is a real phenomenon. If you are dependent on the revenues you receive from your blog, you probably don’t want to rely on Adsense for this very reason.
I’m not going to lie to you. Google Adsense is one of the easiest and best paying methods to earn money blogging. Luckily it is not the only way to earn money blogging either!
If you are lucky enough to live in a state that is not affected by the “Amazon Tax,” I highly recommend you sign up for the Amazon affiliate program and find a way to successfully implement this into your blog. This is one alternative that will help you earn some extra money.
A lot of bloggers avoid context links because they feel it takes away from their site and their readers might find them annoying. I feel like so many popular sites have implemented context links that they almost seem normal to me. For this very reason I have no issues with adding them to a blog.
Filed under Blogging Tips, Make Money Blogging
