on Wednesday June 25, 2008

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Guest post by Pete of mygpscameraphone.com  

I've seen many bloggers enter into a schedule of topics in order to produce more predictable posting patterns for their readers. Some people can hang with it, while others (me) have a major issue with being oppressed by a schedule. What I've done with some success is committed to one day where I almost always post the same topic. This topic is called Wordless Wednesday.

For the uninitiated, Wordless Wednesday is a big link list of blogs that have posted a photo with no words. You post your entry and then add your blog to the link list. Other participants do the same and everyone visits each other. It's a great way to find new blogs and an easy way to knock out a post. Wordless Wednesday became so popular that they are now wordless every day, but the most participation comes from the Wednesday edition. 

I've met many people through this and seen many great photos. If you want some of the action, here are a few "secrets" to becoming a blogging supernova (or at least a dwarf planet).

1. Add your link to the list early - the higher to the top, generally, the more hits. A few weeks ago, I was listed 4th out of 626 entries, which referred 57 visitors. However, I've been in the 300s and still get respectable numbers. (BTW, the "day" changes at midnight EST from what I've seen.)
2. Link directly to the post page, not your home page. That way, if you decide to post later in the day, visitors won't have to search for the post, especially if it's hidden below the fold.
3. Be consistent with your name when adding your link. Some people choose to use all caps or other special characters to stand out among the hundreds of links. Either way, pick something and stick with it. Personally, I just use my site name with no frills - My GPS Camera Phone.
4. Post an interesting or noteworthy photo if you can. Abstract imagery has worked well for me.
5. Make every attempt to comment on the sites of at least those who comment on your photo. The WW community is great and comments are usually reciprocated.
6. Try being consistent and participate often. I'm on 24 entries as of today and I see many return visitors each Wednesday, some of which have translated into regular, other-than-Wednesday visitors.
7. Realize that it's not a photo competition and take each participant's entry for what it's worth. This isn't the place to be critical (unless of course it's requested by the photographer). It is, however, a great place to discover new blogs.
8. Don't try to game the system - the community is smart and can spot a cheat.
9. Have fun with it! Even if you end up being the last one on the list, you will still get traffic.

Joeprah Says... User Comments (12) Favorite This Post (16)

on Thursday June 19, 2008

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This is part II of the "Why Blog" series. For more from this series check the following link:

Why Blog? Part I - Obstacles to Blogging

When I first started blogging I had no idea what I was doing.  I humbly wrote amazingly hilarious articles and did little to promote them.  I thought having a site was enough.  Then, as I started go forth and examine the world of blogging I started to notice patterns, styles, interesting widgets and sidebar goodies.  I still didn’t know what all the little buttons on peoples blogs meant, but I knew that I needed to learn more about blogging and how to effectively market myself to compete with other blogs out there. 

In this post I have compiled some useful tips that will help speed you through the learning curve of marketing your blog through the internet—Joeprah style. 

Meta Data

Meta data are the key words and phrases associated with your website or blog and the individual posts on your blog.  There are ways in the backend of your website to enter meta data and there are also many plug-ins that will help draw attention to keywords and phrases in your individual posts.  Meta data is fundamental to blogging and blogs in general—if you are concerned with readership.  Make sure your site’s list of keywords and phrases is extensive and strong.  If you would like examples of meta data simply google the topic and you will find countless websites and blogs dedicated to just that.  All of this has to do with SEO (search engine optimization) and is a powerful way to ensure your page is near or at the top when searches are conducted in the internet.

Networking

As a blogger, you will come to find that many of your readers are in fact other bloggers.  Bloggers in general read many other blogs besides their own.  In order to reach out and find other bloggers with similar backgrounds and interests, I found three tools to be the most useful.  First, Blog Catalog.  This was the first community based blogging directory I joined.  Blog Catalog allows you to join or form your own blogging groups.  In doing so, you will be able to meet other bloggers of you “genre” so to speak and start creating your own blogroll (more on this later).  Cre8Buzz is another blogging community.  It is a MySpace for bloggers in many ways.  Its format and set up lends more to a social network then a blog directory and there is a power to that.  You can easily navigate sub communities, forums, and a community blog in order to promote your own blog and find others that interest you.  Finally, another excellent networking tool is Twitter.  With all its server issues and downfalls it remains one of the best ways to gain readership and network with bloggers and potential readers. 

Blogging Protocol

If I only knew more about this topic when I started blogging over a year and a half ago I would easily be six to nine months further entrenched in what I would call successful blogging habits. 

Comment Other Blogs

Find blogs you enjoy.  Don’t read anything that isn’t in your wheel house. If you are into unicycling by all means read blogs about unicycles.  Whatever your interests are find blogs that entertain and educate you pertaining to those interests and frequent them.  When you are compelled to do so, comment the blog.  Comments need to be sincere.  Your comments aren’t simply read by the author of the post but anyone that reads that blog.  Do you want to be known as the dude that left “good post” as a comment?  If you can’t think of anything substantial to say—skip it.  When you comment another blog you are essentially networking your own blog.  More times than not, you will get readers for your own blog by commenting on other ones.

Comments on Your Blog

When someone leaves a comment on your blog it is important.  There are many ways to say you appreciate this input.  You can reply to the comment via another comment on your blog.  This does two things.  It shows the world what your response is to the comment, but it also shows that you take the time to continue the discussion that your blog post may have generated.  Another way to respond to a post is by way of email.  Email is more of a personal touch.  It allows you to have a one on one with your reader and intimately respond to the points in their comments.  It is more time consuming, but worth considering.  No response.  I have seen many blogs where the author simply writes something to get the discussion going and steps back.  That is also a cool strategy, but one to employ less seldom.   Nasty comments are different.  The best thing to do with nasty comments on your blog is to keep them up.  If you have readers, they will come to your defense.  Also, email the commenter directly and talk to them about their comment.  They will be shocked that you did so.  More often than not they will see the error of their ways and back pedal, but be sure to be tactful.  If you aren’t tactful try to respond via another post highlighting the comment and post your response.  If you have an arch enemy that means you are super hero right?  Remember, nasty comments indicate you are doing something right—or that you are a gigantic ass. 

Blogroll

What is a blogroll?  A blogroll is a listing of links to blogs you read or recommend for others to read that appears on bloggers sidebar.  Here at Joeprah, I have it set up that anyone who registers (which is free) can post their blogs information for the world to see via the “Interactive Blogroll.”  Blogrolls accomplish a few different things.  They allow other readers to see what you like to read thus giving them a better understanding of what you are all about.  Blogrolls also are usually reciprocal and you can often ask another blogger to post your sites link on their blog and in return you will do the same.  Don’t spam this idea and only do this with bloggers you something in common with.  Having your link on places through the internet and this is an easy way to make your ‘reach’ or ‘authority’ greater.  Next week I will address ‘reach’ and ‘authority’ in greater detail. 

Have Fun With It

Blogging is demanding and if you don’t stay positive it is basically impossible to keep it up.  If blogging ever gets too stressful, take a step back.  I personally think that sometimes a couple days off from blogging are helpful.  I think a good way to have perspective in blogging is to have a goal or mission for your blog.  Ask yourself, “Why am I blogging?”  You may find that answer will evolve over time.   Every few months or so, look over your answer and see if it needs to be revised.  Stay focused, but don’t lose sight of the fact that blogging is largely an outlet.  If you ever feel that blogging is becoming too much like work…then you need to find out how to get paid for your efforts. 

Next week I will cover the issues of site rank, authority and reach and how they all effect how you can make money with your blog. 

Joeprah Says... User Comments (15) Favorite This Post (28)

Have you ever wanted to add some extra style points to your blog and just don't know the first thing about it?  I have comprised an easy to swallow tutorial for those who use Blogger, Word Press and Joomla! so that they may be able to add "Drop Caps" to their blogs.  Why?  Because drop caps in all their various forms are cool.  It's a fact.  Drop caps are the over-sized-magazine-style letters that you see in print media and online media alike.  It can take a bland post and turn it into a thing of beauty--well, maybe just a little nicer. 

The Tutorial

Whether you use Word Press, Blogger, Joomla! or some other format for your blog you can easily install your own “Drop Cap” effect into any post you like by using the following CSS code.  CSS code (Cascading Style Sheet) can be manipulated in many different ways and the “Drop Cap” effect is merely one extension of this. 

Here is the CSS code you will need for "Drop Caps":

.dropcap {
         float: left;
         padding: 3px 3px 0 0;
         display: block;
         color: #b4b4b4;
         font: 50px/37px Georgia, Times, serif;
 }

  If you have a Blogger blog here is what you need to do to insert the code.

1. Go the "Dashboard" of your blog
2. Click "Layout"
3. Click "Edit HTML"
4. Before the tag  ]]></b:skin>  Insert the "Drop Cap" Code above
5. Save the Changes
6. Go to "Settings" tab
7. Go to "Formatting" tab
8. In "Post Template" at the bottom add the following code

<span class="dropcap"> </span>