Archive for » June, 2008 «

265678915 b8e3c43dfa Youre Only As Good As Your Current Post

Have you ever noticed the majority of visitors to your blog only comment on your most recent post? Even your loyal readers aren’t digging to find more of your writings.

If they are, they often don’t comment.

Why is that?

Today’s Lesson

As bloggers we’re continually publishing new posts.

As our new posts are pinged, our RSS feed readers/visitors come on over, may leave us a comment, and leave.

Many may not take time to read more than the current post, leaving our older posts buried in our archives collecting dust.

Much of what may actually be our best writings gets forgotten.

When I look at my blog, I’ve written over 300 posts.

The ones that are most popular (based on comments) are listed in my sidebar under “What Others Are Reading”. I also include my recently written posts, related posts and most recently, random posts (lower left sidebar).

I try to make it easy for my readers to find previous posts, however, it’s rare I get a comment on an older post. When I do, it’s often the result of a search engine “find” or an inbound link (to an older post).

With that being said, I’ve come to the realization if our current post doesn’t hold value, we could lose visitors.

What if your most recent post isn’t your best, or even most popular post?

Might a reader show up, and never come back?

I believe sometimes they do.

Today’s Assignment

If you look at your current blog post from the eyes of a visitor, what do they see? Keep in mind, RSS readers are not necessarily coming in on your home page. Often they are only seeing the “post” page.

How easy would it be for them to find older posts of yours if they chose to “dig around” your blog?

Are you seeing this trend too? Visitors comment on your current posts, but your older posts go untouched?

How do you entice your visitors to “dig”?


Photo Credit: Just Taken Pics’ photostream

474975762 307c771fda m Free n Easy Friday Finds

Hi all,

Welcome to my new series.

It will be called “Free ‘n Easy Friday Finds”. As some of you already know, I like to use acronyms (abbreviate with letters), so it will often be referred to as “FEFF”.

Each Friday, I will share something that is free to bloggers. It may be a plugin, a site that offers free themes or photos, a potential (free) income stream, advice that will save you time and money, or something else. Plus, it will be easy to use.

For blogging, there is tons of free stuff online, so before you get out the “plastic”, ask a question in my comment section and either I, or one of the other bloggers in the BWAB community, may know of a free source.

As an added bonus, there will be no “assignment” on Fridays. Did I hear a “yeah”? ///clap, clap, clap\\\

The comment section will be open for questions, comments or anything you might want to share. Just remember, I don’t allow profanity on my blog, so keep it clean. :)

Let’s get started:

Last week Dr. Cason mentioned she wanted to organize the blogs in her reader. This was something I needed to do, too.

Organizing Your Google Reader

With the Google Reader, this is pretty easy.

Go to your reader (duh!)

1) Click on “manage friends”

2) Click on “subscriptions” – All of the blogs you’re following will be listed. Each line has “Rename”, a garbage can, and a white rectangular box.

3) If you click on “Add To A Folder” (the white box) It gives you the option to make a new folder

As you make new folders, the names of the folders are added to the “white box” option.

4) Add the first blog to a folder, and that part is done.

5) Move on to the next blog

As you go through the blogs in your reader, you can add it to an existing folder, move it to a different folder, or create a new folder.

You’ll also see a small garbage can on this page. This is used to delete blogs from your reader.

If you want, you can also rename a blog you’re following. e.g. Instead of being listed by the name of the blog, you could rename it by the author.

When you click “Back to Google Reader”, the blogs you are following are neatly placed in the respective folders. The folders can then by opened or collapsed by using the + or – signs (to the left of the folder icon).

As an example, I currently have four folders:

1) “NBOTW” (these are all bloggers who were named New Blog Of The Week)

2) “Visit Daily” (Updated blogs I read on a daily basis)

3) “Visit Twice A Week” (Blogs I read at least twice a week, but usually more often, if time permits)

4) “Blogs To Watch” (These are new blogs I’ve found that have the potential to be part of my NBOTW series)

What I like about setting up folders is that you have two choices

1) You can open all updated blogs on one screen, (by clicking on the name of the folder), or

2) You can open the folder and then open up each blog in the window.

Warning: With regard to the #1 choice, be careful not to click on “mark all as read” until you have finished reading all of the updated blogs.

Although my explanation of this may sound confusing, it’s actually an easy process.

Once you start playing with, and becoming comfortable with, the options in your reader, you’ll see the advantage of setting up folders. (It’s similar to setting up folders in your email account).

That’s my first FEFF….

Now the floor is yours.

Have your say, share an idea, ask a question or………


Photo Credit: dannysullivan’s photostream

539968945 24cddb24f0 The Biggest Mistake I Made In Blogging

We all make mistakes when we start blogging.

I know I did.

Today’s Lesson

I didn’t do enough homework and was unprepared for what blogging entailed.

I made small mistakes like typos (and I still do), and big ones like crashing my blogs.

I didn’t know HTML, coding or the blogging language.

I had no idea what SEO (search engine optimization) was, nor did I have time to learn it.

I didn’t know the difference between a plugin and a widget, or a trackback vs a ping. (Thank you John Hoff for the great explanation on pings and trackbacks)

I spent too much time checking my visitor stats when I should have been concentrating on other areas of blogging.

I wasted many precious hours signing up for, placing ads and then checking stats to see how much money I wasn’t making.

Social networks like StumbleUpon and Digg got me addicted, and they too consumed my time.

Although all of the above are important lessons to learn, (and I did), the biggest mistake I made was…….

Not making the time to comment on other blogs sooner than I did.

I had read many times how important it was, but thought it didn’t pertain to me.

When I did consider commenting, I was often intimidated by the other comments, and felt my words might sound stupid.

Instead, I worked quietly behind the scenes, wrote for my imaginary audience, and told myself, “If I build it, they will come”.

I was content……..for awhile.

Then I realized blogging is actually about interacting with others.

I was a one way street.

It wasn’t until I made time to visit other blogs that I got caught up in the thrill of comments.

Not only getting comments, but leaving them as well.

I’m not afraid of admitting my mistakes, and that was a big one.

What about you?

Today’s Assignment

What do you feel your biggest mistake in blogging has been thus far?

Care to share?


Photo Credit: toddneville’s photostream

2415602258 cce15685d5 Blogs Arent Just For Boys Anymore

Have you ever noticed males seem to dominate the computer industry? Anytime you hear about a computer “geek” or “guru”, it’s a guy.

Blogosphere isn’t much different. The “A-List” bloggers we all hear about are men too.

Today’s Lesson

When I started blogging (March 2007) most of the blogs I found were techy type blogs, written by men. The topics were either way over my head, or I had no interest in them. I felt out of place.

I concentrated on reading Steve Pavlina and Darren Rowse (Problogger).

When I found Lorelle, I frequented her blog often. It was filled with great information about WordPress.

Months later, I left several comments on Problogger, and that’s where Asako found me. With her being Japanese, and me, having worked for a Japanese company, we became instant internet friends. (She has since gone on hiatus, but her blog remains online.)

It was through Asako’s blog, that Catherine and I found each other. The three of us faithfully visited each other, left comments and shared emails.

As more time passed and I ventured further into blogosphere, I began to find other female bloggers. Soon, dozens of female bloggers were coming on board. Their writings were phenomenal.

What a joy it was for me to read a woman’s viewpoint; to read posts on subjects that were down to earth; on subjects that affected my everyday life.

For me, it was a pleasure to see females jumping on the blogging bandwagon and having their say.

Although some may say they are “girly” blogs, often the content isn’t gender specific.

Female bloggers are becoming a force to be reckoned with.

Female bloggers are changing the landscape of blogosphere.

Female bloggers are using their blogs as portfolios to go on to bigger and better things.

Female bloggers are making money online.

I think we’re here to stay.

Today’s Assignment

Does it make a difference to you if the author of a blog is male or female?

What do you think? Are female authors as good as, or sometimes better than male authors?

Do females write more from the heart? Have more compassion?

Do you agree, female bloggers rock?


Photo Credit: LabGP & SigOther’s photostream

1746100681 f72dee38ec o NBOTW Will Donate $1,000,000

I didn’t have to go far to find this week’s New Blog Of The Week (NBOTW). I found her in my comment section.

Want to guess who she is?

You may have already visited her blog.

Here are a few hints.

In one post she says, “Don’t give away your power”.

You give away your power when you allow others to make you feel inferior, when you blame outside circumstances, and when you let other people make decisions for you.

To teach writers more about awakening their creativity, she shares two methods of writing.

1) Proprioceptive Writing

2) Morning Pages

For another clue, she wrote about the power of the magician, and how by using the same techniques as a magician does, you can….

learn to control your thoughts and emotions so that they become aligned with the things and circumstances that you want to create. Remember to devote yourself to perfecting your craft to the point where it appears to others that you can pull solutions to problems and ideas out of a hat.

And that million dollars? It’s one of her dreams.

Have you figured out who she is?

It’s Marelisa. Her blog is “Abundance Blog”.

Please join me in welcoming Marelisa as the NBOTW.

Pay her a visit, leave her a comment, and don’t forget to subscribe to her blog for more of her great writings.

Hello again, Marelisa!


Photo Credit: Simon Davison’s photostream
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