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How to Improve the Quality of Your Blog Posts

November 16, 2012 by 86 Comments

Quality content is probably something you keep hearing or reading from people when it comes to content writing. Not everyone can be an English major, and we are all not perfect. However, to be competitive in your blog niche, you have to provide quality information.

You can do this through several factors:

  • Research
  • Content Quality Control

Yes, it really is simple as those two areas, but the question is – why?

Researching to Improving the Quality of Your Blog Posts

Well, research is a big area in content writing. In order to write about something, you must have some knowledge on it. The issue is:

  • How much knowledge do you have on the topic?
  • How much time are you willing to invest in researching what you do not know?

If you go out with guns blazing and just write an article without thorough investigation, you are risking your reputation, and the quality of your blog’s content. Your readers deserve the best, right?

So, once you have established that you are determined to provide quality blog posts, you will want to put aside time to research. It might take reading books, interviewing people, and reading other sites in your niche.

Content Quality Control to Improve Your Blog Posts

Content Quality Control involves making sure your article is thorough, well worded, spelled correctly, and unique.

If you go through your blog post and feel that you are missing something, go back to the first stage to improving your article by researching. If it takes reading twenty different blogs, or going to a library to read an encyclopedia… do it!

Blogging is a beautiful thing as it is more relaxed than journalism and allows the blogger’s voice to come out. While you do want to provide a great reading experience, you need to be conscientious of spelling and grammar. Of course, the grammar does not have to be perfect, but it MUST be understood. In the case you are in a competitive blog niche, you would want to try hard to not make too many mistakes as your site may be on a world level and must be understood by people who do not speak or read your language as a first language.

Proof your posts before publishing. As many times as you may have read that, you need to drill it deep within and make it a habit.

Have you implemented research and content quality control into your blogging habits? What resources make it easier to research or help with content quality control for your blog?

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What To Do When Your to Blog Inspiration Hits A Dry Spell

April 26, 2012 by 43 Comments

Sometimes blog inspiration might seem hard to come by. What can you do to prevent hitting that dry spell? Inspiration can come from many places, but it is how you harness it that counts. However, there are factors that can get in the way of getting your words to jump to your mind and onto your blog.

Well, you need to think about your blogging habits:

  • When do you normally blog? In the evening? In the morning? Midday?
  • Have you eaten properly?
  • Are you having some type of exercise, even in small increments of time, like 10-20 minutes.
  • Have you done your homework by reading around your niche and a little outside of it to keep on top of the news?
  • Are you blogging way to frequently?
  • Does blogging have to be done in a rush?
  • Are you just painfully continuing to blog in a niche you no longer have enough material to provide for?

All of the above factors can affect your blog habits. You do need to blog when you are most creative because this is when you will at least have that extra oomph to get that article done. Also, never rush blogging. If you have an article you think you have to squeeze in before a certain time, you really do not. You are not putting a newspaper to bed for publishing on the next day. Your thoughts might be rushed and not come across as logical as it should.

Yes, your health can be a big factor! If you are ill or not eating properly, you could be running low on both energy and the brain power to even get through the day. Make sure you are eating well and incorporating a few exercises. Some bloggers may even freelance online, so that means those who are living the freelancing lifestyle need to take extra care. 10 or 20 minutes might make a difference. Remember in health class – exercise encourages your body to release endorphins. Endorphins make you happy and a bit more energetic.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK! You might not have a boss overlooking… wait – YOU ARE YOUR OWN BOSS! Make sure to keep yourself on target and do your research. Surf the sites you enjoy, read from people within and outside of your niche. You never know – someone might write an article that you may have a response well worth writing your own blog post.

The biggest thing of all in this is that if you are just doing this for the money and not because you are at least passionate about it – STOP! Most people who are passionate about certain topics are more than likely able to nit pick everything apart and find something new to write about. They are also more willing to do the research and stay on top of the game.

These are merely some things to think about when your blogging inspiration hits a dry spell. However, I know others have their own rituals – so what do you recommend?

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Taking That First Step To Starting A Blog

December 23, 2011 by 19 Comments

Starting your own blog does take courage. You are starting it with the obvious intent to reach out to others, whether it to provide information, provide inspiration, make money, for therapeutic reasons, or other reasons.

Before you start a blog, you really have no need to be monetizing it yet. Of course, you can implement Adsense, but without traffic and clicks, you make nothing and appear to be all in for the money.

Get your priorities in order before you start a blog.

Planning your blog is the best place to start.

What do you want to do with your site? Do you want to teach people something? Do you want to make money? You want to create a sturdy focus, specifically on what you want to cover or have a great interest to learn about. Unfortunately, just picking something to blog about will not cover it. Why? Well, you are more than likely to become disinterested. That is why a lot of bloggers and social media consultants will urge you to have a real passion for what you write about.

Once you have what you want to write about, create a site. Whether it is using WordPress, Google Blogger, or some other platform, you need a medium to become your blog headquarters.

When you get that site, just do not let it sit idle for one moment! Write your first post. Make it your introductory. Include:

  • A little bit about yourself.
  • Your intentions for your blog.
  • Topics that will be covered.

Be prepared to blog more than just an introductory posts. You can always save a post on draft mode and publish when you are ready. The fact of the matter is- blog! This is where you take your first step into the open.

Do not worry about the design. Do not worry about the monetizing. Your content needs to come first.

How are you going to invite people to your site if there is nothing there to welcome them? Your blog is much like a home. If you have nothing to make people feel at home, why would they want to stay… let alone come back.

Most blog platforms and content management systems have at least a pleasant default theme. Some bloggers wait until they have a perfectly design site to make their debut. However, what about all the time waiting for that theme to be finished, or the time to find the right one?

You could be blogging and already engaging with people!

So many people want to worry about making money, playing with their site to optimize it for the search engines, and more….however, you really do not have to focus on that so much. Search engines becoming social oriented, other than normal algorithms. So, that means, your visitors will be the ones to say your site has more authority, and not just a bot.

After you have written your content and actually started driving in readers, you can think about all the other luxuries to add to your site.

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Is It Really THAT Annoying to Moderate Comments on Blogs?

April 22, 2011 by 27 Comments

I have heard a lot on the verdict about anti-spam plugins for WordPress and even after trying a lot of different plugins, I still come to the conclusion – you will see spam get through. Some plugins less than others, but still… there is always a factor that there will be spammers. It does not matter if you put captcha, a math question, or even a check mark, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SPAM.

It is sad, but really, it keeps every blogger on their toes. Even with the best email spam blockers, spam DOES get through eventually.

Personally, I think it is annoying when spam comments on my blog comes in the hundreds. It is without a doubt that unfortunately Askimet for WordPress is not always doing a good job. I hate to say it, but I am not even sure if I can trust how much better paying for Askimet per month can help any blogger, even some of the top pro bloggers out there!

The problem is that there are people out there, just like everyday hackers devious and thinking on how they can reach you. Whether it is your email account, Instant messenger, social network account, or even your blog comments, they try it.

It could be different keywords, or even typing words a certain way. People still get Viagra and Cialis comments like crazy and it is because they are typed differently: spelled incorrectly, typed in l33t spee (upper case, lower case alternating letters), and even grouped with other keywords.

Bloggers literally have to make it part of their routine to block spammers in any sort of manner.

So far, I have heard that the GASP Plugin for WordPress is great for bloggers. Even though it is a plugin that requires your blog commenters to checkmark a box basically asking if they are a real person instead of a spammer, I have heard that a lot of bloggers have given feedback that their moderation queues have greatly reduced.

What is it about spam that is annoying to you? What kind of spam do you often moderate on your blog? What plugin or plugins do you use to try to reduce spam on your blog?

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4 Mistakes That Bloggers Should Avoid

March 15, 2011 by 11 Comments

Blogging has evolved a lot from being the narcissistic online diary to become a genuine platform for expressing one’s views and also as a genuine business tool. Due to this exponential growth it is also becoming common to find bloggers that are victims of lawsuits. What can bloggers do in order to avoid this situation? In this article I will be covering 4 common mistakes that are made by a lot of bloggers and that you will better avoid if you want to avoid getting sued.

Copyright infringement

You should not think that everything on the internet is free and can be used whenever you want. Images and videos are all protected by copyrights and should be used on your blog with great care. As much as possible you should make use of images that have been released under the Creative Commons license or better purchase your image from one of the various stock photography site that exist.

In case of text you should also be wary of copyright issues. As far as possible you should link to the original sources to avoid any risk of being sued for copyright infringement.

False statement

Bloggers sometimes erroneously assume that they can say anything and everything on their blog because of free speech rights. Although this may be true to some extent there are cases however where you need to be careful. For instance it is a crime to publish some false statements on some other person. Before publishing something on your blog make sure that you have verified the sources and that you have proof to sustain what you are saying. Remember that it is one thing to know the truth and another thing altogether to prove it.

Publishing sensitive information

Under the law of privacy you can be liable for publishing some statements even if it is true. This is mainly the case when the information that you have published can cause embarrassment for the person. This is especially true if this information is not a matter of public interest.

In the same way you should also be careful when publishing information on a business. Given that these secrets are usually a source of competitive advantage businesses may be ready to take the battle to the courts in order to protect their interest.

Trust in anonymous blogging

Although anonymous blogging may protect you to some extent you should not trust entirely in it. Indeed bloggers can still be vulnerable to subpoenas whereby your hosting provider will be forced to reveal your identity. In this case you might end up being in trouble. This is why it is always important that you remain wary of the issues listed above if you want to protect yourself from lawsuits even if you are doing it anonymously.

These 4 mistakes are perhaps the most common ones that are made by bloggers and you should make everything you can in order to avoid those. This will help protect you from lawsuits that can turn out to be quite costly.

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Blogging Lessons Learned from “Julie and Julia”

March 7, 2011 by 13 Comments

In the movie “Julie and Julia,” Julie Powell considered herself a failure because a book she attempted didn’t quite work out the way she had hoped. To redeem herself, she set out to cook all of the recipes from Julia Childs’s book, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” Powell’s husband encouraged her to blog about her recipes and experiences. What started out as a daily cooking commitment also turned into a daily blogging commitment. Following are five blogging lessons I learned from this movie.

Lesson 1: Blog with a Plan and Purpose

Powell set a goal to cook the 524 recipes from Julia Childs’s book within 365 days and blog about them. She had 524 reasons to stay focused and absolutely no reason to run out of content.

Know what you are going to blog about and be sure you are passionate about that topic. Purpose and passion will keep you going through periods of bloggers block and doubt.

Lesson 2: Blog for Your Audience

When Powell first started blogging, she wanted to prove to herself that she was not a loser. As she started to get readers and followers, blogging was no longer about her; she had an audience waiting to hear from her.

Since your audience will ultimately determine the success or failure of your site, always put them first as you write.

Lesson 3: Your Blog Will Not Become Popular Overnight

Powell’s blog did not become popular right away and neither will yours – unless you already have a dedicated following interested in you or your topic. Blogging is not a “build it and they will come” venture. Just like any other business, you have to market it and provide value to gain popularity.

Lesson 4: Consistency Leads to Success

Apparently, Powell had a history of not completing things she started. She really wanted to finish her project. She cooked and blogged every day, sometimes several times a day. That was pretty ambitious.

You don’t have to be that extreme. Develop a schedule that you can realistically maintain. If you can only blog once a month, do that. Just be consistent so your readers will know when to expect your next post.

Lesson 5: Do Not Blog about Your Job on Your Personal Blog

Powell had mentioned that she was going to be off of work on her blog. Her supervisor read the post and brought it to her attention upon her return.

Do not discuss your job on your personal blog and do not discuss personal topics on your business blog. If you just have to cross that line, proceed with caution.

The five blogging lessons above are just a few lessons I learned from “Julie and Julia.” Powell achieved her blogging goals because she had a plan; she was consistent; and her audience was her priority. You can reach your goals by following Powell’s lead. To be truly successful, though, you have to be committed and possess an attitude of success.

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So You Think You Can Blog? See What It Takes

March 4, 2011 by 9 Comments

You should always understand that there are a lot of people probably blogging about the same topics as you. When you are trying to make a business oriented decision, some people are already making money. And no matter how hard you think you are trying, it seems you are still packed up with the majority that do nothing but stand and wave goodbye to the sailors. Is it your intention to be like that? No, I guess not! Doesn’t that tell you that there is definitely something you are missing and or perhaps something you left undone?

The truth is that nobody knows everything about blogging from creation to promotion, traffic generation and social marketing. Yet some people are super bloggers. Yes, few out of the millions of bloggers are super bloggers and their actions are quite different from that of the rest – those who keep dreaming without results. Want to leave the present blogging status you are to join the group of super bloggers? Here is a list of the attributes of successful bloggers.


Effective Communication

Successful bloggers understand the best way to put information. From the experience I acquired blogging in my Software Reviews & Coupons blog, professionals don’t just write, they communicate with their readers. They write as an ordinary human being faced with same problems as their readers. They know what their readers want and put that down in a clear down-to-earth format – making it funny, yet professional and informative. My moto is, stop writing for the Search Engines only and start writing for humans. Don’t focus only on SEO, but mainly on content quality. Also remember: always reply to readers’ comments. It’s rude to leave your readers alone like having them talk to a wall. They want you to respond and provide insight and solutions.  Answer their questions and objections and they will keep coming back to you. Interact with them. Important: Have your face photo posted somewhere in your blog, at least in your “About” page. Not a cartoon picture or a fancy logo, but your own funny face. Through time people will connect your blog to your face and trust me, this is good.

Triggering Readers

Any blog post by a successful blogger has a way of getting its readers to step within the circle of commentators. They write blogs that appeal or provoke the passion of readers. Have you ever read something and found yourself restless with excitement until you say something? This is the kind of writing I am talking about. Writings that get readers to build a community around that blog – of course readers will always come back to check out new posts and what people are talking about.

Humility

Being humble will help you to inculcate the attitude of being ready to learn every time. No matter how long you think you have been around, you definitely do not know every thing and needs to learn from others. But if you are not humble, you can’t do that. If you cannot learn, then you have started dying. Never allow this weakness to come in between your blogging business.

Consistency

Being consistent in following your plans matters a lot and determines your success in the business. You must make sure you perform at least one task everyday, which will take you closer to your blogging goal. Stick to it and never give up.

Tactical And Analytical

Successful bloggers always find a way to look beyond their limitations. When you look around, you discover certain factors, tools and strategies that will help you. You must be very analytical and dynamic. Always be on the constant search for what works and try new things out. Open your mind to learning and adventure. If you have passion in what you do, it becomes less of work.

Innovation

Successful bloggers are always those with innovation. If you would take a closer look at those blogs with many followers, I bet you will find that each of them have a very unique and smarter way of communication. Trying to sound like blog A or copying the success of blog B might not be innovative enough to carry you along. Be innovative and build your blog in a unique way.

Creativity With Unique Contents

Many bloggers find it hard to come up with unique contents. Still successful bloggers always know how to do effective research, and put down their posts in a unique format and tone. They are creative enough not to be carried away by other’s successful blogging styles. They don’t discuss same topics like other bloggers. Even when they have 1 or 2 posts on popular topics, people will still rush to read theirs because of presentation and the use of those ‘magic’ successful blogging words.

Entrepreneur Quality

It is obvious that any body that doesn’t have entrepreneur quality can’t do business online. Hence successful bloggers are those with entrepreneur mindset; always finding and experimenting ways to be ahead of their competition. They try as much as they can to be in control and that is what you should be doing. One thing you should remember: “easy money” online is a myth! Working hard, as in any other business, is our reality.

Undivided Attention

Being focused with posts is a quality that many bloggers cannot boost of. Any post made by a successful blogger has a way of being focused and yet interesting. These categories of posts are carefully written, from the title to the body, taking care to keep the reader focused with captivating paragraphs, good syntax and communicative words.

Good Planning

You cannot do everything at once, neither blog about everything at the same time. Planning and reinforcing strict measures to following your plans is an attribute of successful bloggers. Procrastination will always come in, but once they have set a goal to achieve in their blogging business for a day, they do not go back on it.

Good Imaginative Ability

Ordinarily, successful bloggers have different thinking styles. Something that may sound weird or inappropriate can be beneficial but only visible to some few bloggers. Successful bloggers always believe that they can make something out of nothing. So they experiment with different factors and new products almost every time. Sometimes dare to write something controversial too. See how they react; try to interact. They ‘ll remember you for that.

Persistency

Creating and promoting your products/ideas can be a real daunting task: very difficult and stressful, especially when there are no initial results. One thing to always remember and commit to memory as a blogger is that there is no such thing as an overnight success. You must therefore be persistent to keep writing and posting for months with less or no audience. Really not an easy work, but it pays on the long run. If you are a beginner who wants to succeed online, I must tell you that you have to throw away your “instant gratification” expectations.

To wrap it up, every successful blogger out there has a unique style visible in the tone, formatting, blog presentation and so on. You are therefore required to work with the above list in building your blog community. Above all, be creative, informative and communicable. The results and the potential are fantastic.

Are there other qualities that it takes to make a successful blogger?

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Are You Checking Your Guest Blogger’s Links In Their Posts?

February 26, 2011 by 8 Comments

Are you checking your guest blogger’s links in their posts? Do you care?

YOU SHOULD!

While every blog owner has their own policy on what is allowed and what is not allowed in guest posting, the links some guest bloggers are pimping out may not be something you will want to have on your site.

Why?

Well, it could be a number of reasons. Probably best to put out a few scenarios:

  • Scenario 1: In the case your guest blogger is working for a company, the keyword they use directs to the business they are paid to write for. While the article may be well written – you are actually allowing them to advertise for free on your website. Say you have a similar business or affiliate market with a similar business, this is a conflict of interest.
  • Scenario 2: You like to try to be laid back about your blog and your guest posting policy reflects that. You just skim over posts, maybe do a few edits, and then either publish it or schedule the post to publish. When it publishes, you find out from a reader that the link your guest blogger put in there leads to a suspicious website or even is an affiliate link.
  • Scenario 3: You do not mind the link dropping, and you get a lot of guest posts. Your blog becomes one hot mess of link dropping spam instead of focused on quality content.

These are merely a couple scenarios. Some of the guest bloggers out there are genuine and are transparent about themselves. Others, they will concoct a whole story to make it seem they are genuine. It is unfortunate that I have had to come across such people and have turned away some or removed quite a few guest posts submitted for review. I am sure some of you have also had problems.

It is important to put a policy in place for guest post submissions or you could possibly be harming your blog’s reputation in the future.

Do you accept guest posts? What are your blog’s guest posting rules? Have you encountered guest bloggers that still submit articles after failing to adhere to your site’s guest writing rules?

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