Archives for 2009

I’m not sure why my advice would be sought out on anything outside of cooking, Angelina Jolie movies, birds, what to order at Starbucks (anything caffeinated), or how to raise daughters or cats (I’m sitting on a goldmine of information there).  However, I receive countless e-mails, each week, asking my advice about blogging.  People realize that blogs are here to stay and want to get in on the self-expression, interaction, and fun.  They also wouldn’t mind if a dollar or two came their way as a result.

They know that, as someone with (currently) 16 blogs – I know  the ins and outs of plugins, themes, posts, domains, affiliates, and so on.  I’ve been doing this for a long time and have gotten to the place where I’m actually making money by doing something that feels like play.

Success!

I’ve been responding, of course, to the e-mails one on one – but I realized that it’d be simpler to compile a post that I could point inquiring minds to.  So, I’ve compiled my own personal list for new bloggers.  It could also, of course, be for established bloggers who want to pull themselves out of a rut.

I don’t claim to know everything – in fact, I learn something new every day…. But here’s what I know today:

1. If you’re even half-serious about what you’re doing, you need your own domain name. You have to let everyone know that you mean business and separate yourself from the rest. I religiously use and highly recommend Go Daddy. Outside of coffee, a cat in your lap, and my husband’s blue eyes, few things in life are perfect – however, Go Daddy is the perfect registrar. Don’t even think of using anyone else.
2. You’ll want a great host with help available to you 24/7. In a time when different companies are closing their doors each day, you want a host that has been around a while and is successful enough to be around forever.  (That’s another great thing about Go Daddy – you know they aren’t going anywhere!)   We’re hosted by a gator (Host Gator: Domain Hosting Only $9.95 a Month) and I wouldn’t recommend anything else. Host Gator isn’t going anywhere – except down in history as the greatest host ever.
3. Number’s 1 and 2 are, of course, assuming you already know what your blog’s subject will be about. Online, you’ll often see this referred to as your niche, I call it your thang. If you aren’t clear on what your thang is, simply ask yourself, “What am I passionate about?  What could I spend 3 hours talking about and not even want to take a breath?“
4. When choosing an url and name for your blog, use common sense. People don’t want to be bothered or annoyed, so don’t come up with a long, drawn-out name and I wouldn’t use any words that are difficult to spell.  Go Daddy offers suggestions when you do a domain search.  For example, if you chose Self Help Daily as your domain name (you silly) – Go Daddy would let you know that this domain name is taken, but they’ll offer up a list of alternatives.  My advice on domain names is this:  Try very hard to put your niche somewhere in the name.  Consider the following words as words you can add before or after your niche to separate it from the rest:  daily, today, online, resource, blog, central – you get the idea.
5. As highly as I recommend Go Daddy and Host Gator, I even more highly recommend WordPress. It’s free.  It’s the best.  And WordPress.org has everything you could possibly need:  Plugins, Themes, and a great forum.  There are also countless WordPress tutorials online that’ll help you every step of the way.  When you search WordPress Tutorials in Google, it finds 14,900,000 of them.  So, basically, with wordpress, you have 14 million people sitting around the computer with you, helping you every step of the way.  Dance on.
6. Consider buying a premium theme. You’ll find tons of free themes on WordPress.org, but be very, very careful.  When I first began blogging (seems like 100 years ago), I used free themes on each of my blogs.  The attribute you were required to leave at the bottom of the page  fairly screamed “Freebie!” – but I pushed that thought out of my mind for as long as I could.  However, I soon found out that free themes not only lack the support given to paid themes, their developers often “drop the ball,” as  in they stop wanting anything to do with the theme.  People who are making money from themes don’t drop the ball – not when it’s a money ball!  Plus, their reputation is on the line. Chris Pearson, for example, is tied to the wonderful Thesis Theme.   I use Thesis on Self Help Daily, Get Cooking, Out of Bounds, Hollywood Yesterday, and Office Freaks. When your name is attached to something, you stay up day and night making sure it’s impeccable. It’s not just your theme that’s on the line, your name is. I would not hesitate a second before recommending the Thesis Theme. I’m also familiar with the WP Prolific theme from Solo Stream and have nothing but love for it.  The people behind this theme are uncommonly friendly and helpful and their theme’s gorgeous. I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s just something extra-special about the way the people behind this theme treat others – in e-mail, on forums, etc.  They show respect and gratitude in a manner that, when you walk away, you think, “Cool people!”  I used WP Prolific when creating a business site for a company my husband works with (Here).  I’d recommend looking at their  wonderful themes and finding the one that’ll work best for you.
7. Domain? Check. Host? Check.  Niche? Check.  Theme? Check.  Now get cracking! One of the first things you’ll want to do is to find your voice.  Sit down and write an introductory post – or even your About Page.  Write as though you are writing to a friend or family member. Be conversational and colorful.  Don’t worry about your sentences being too short.  Big whoop!  Don’t try to be grammatically perfect – boring – and try not to come across like an instruction manual or textbook.  After you’ve typed in a few paragraphs, go back and read what you’ve written. Does it sound as though the words are words you’d actually say?  If so, you’ve found your voice.
   
8. This sort of goes along with #7, but it’s important enough to deserve its own number:  Be original. Cookie cutter blogs and cookie cutter writers are a dime a dozen.  You want to stand out, not blend in. As Paris Hilton once said, “Life’s too short to blend it.”   I don’t really do it anymore (I keep myself more than busy), but when I created blogs for others, there was one thing that always drove me nuts:  When they’d say, “I want my blog to look like this blog or that blog.”  Then they’d give me links to blogs that’d caught their eye.  Why would you want yours to look like someone else?!  It’s not fair to the original and it makes you just an average Joe… a knock off.  That’s never cool.  I also hate to see others try to write like someone else – find your own voice, not someone else’s. Why would you want to be a parrot?  Of course, theres’ nothing wrong with being inspired by someone else – or even taking an idea and putting it to use… we all do that.  But when you go so far as to try to match your blue to their blue, the size of your comment box to theirs, and so on – you’re a stalker!
   
9. Give every aspect of your blog a lot of thought. The about page, the contact page, the sitemap, and the categories.  You want your entire site to flow together and you want it to be cohesive.
   
10. Name your categories thoughtfully, using “keywords” that people would search for in Google. This will help them find you! If you aren’t found, you aren’t blogging, you’re keeping a diary online.
11. While on the topic of being found, read up on SEO – Search Engine Optimization. If you use the Thesis theme, you really don’t have to worry about SEO that much.  Everything is built right into the theme.  If you use other themes, you’ll need the All in One SEO plugin.
12. Plugins are love, beauty, poetry, and all that’s wonderful in the world. When you go to “Add New” under the Plugins category in your WP-Admin, you can search for and easily add plugins that’ll help make your blog more functional for you and your visitors. This is the fastest and easiest way to add plugins.  Below are some of my current favorite plugins.
13. CommentLuv. This plugin is in use here on Self Help Daily. When someone leaves a comment on your blog, CommentLuv includes the title of their last blog post, if applicable.  It’s pretty cool and I think it’s a great way to thank your visitors for their comments.
14. Anit-Spam Plugins. Akismet is a great anti-spam plugin that most people use. I, however, use Peter’s Random Anti-Spam. Peter has has different versions of his spam plugins since the beginning of time and I’ve never used any spam plugin that didn’t have his name in front of  it. (See EDIT at the bottom.)
    
15. Google XML Sitemaps Plugin. You’ll definitely need this one – it acts as Google’s GPS and allows them to find you.  I don’t even have to tell you how much you want that!  After you install the plugin, go to it’s page (within your wp-admin) and customize it.  Be sure to link to your xml sitemap in your footer.
16. PS Auto Sitemap. I love the PS Auto Sitemap plugin so much I want to buy it nice things.  It makes the sweetest looking sitemap I’ve ever seen on a blog.  It has several options available in a drop-down box that will allow you to customize it further.  It’s so slick it’s sick.
17. RSS Footer.  This plugin allows you to put something personal in the footer of your RSS feed.  I haven’t checked on mine in two forevers – I’m just hoping it doesn’t say something like, “Happy New Year 2000!”  {Note to self: Check on that.}
18. Sociable. This plugin creates the bar you see at the end of each post – allowing the reader to share, e-mail, print, etc.  You get to customize the buttons you include and even the words above the buttons. The fun sociable plugin is a must have.
    
19. Subscribe to Comments. A must have plugin.
20. Thesis Openhook – if you use Thesis, you’ll sing the praises of Openhook’s developer each time you use it.
21. YARPP – Yet Another Related Post Plugin. This plugin is golden and I love it muchly.  Featuring related posts at the end of your blog posts gives your readers more reasons to stay on your site.  Best of all, it allows them to conveniently find relevant information that can help them – all neat and tidy.  This plugin is as flawless as you’d want it to be.
22. Contact Form 7. The best and easiest way to set up a contact form.  You always want to be easy to reach and it doesn’t get much easier than a contact form.
23. Money. Money. Money. Some blogs lend themselves extremely well to making a profit.  I can tell you, from experience, that if you’re looking to make money online with a blog, the following topics are RIPE:  Fashion blogs, cat blogs, dog blogs, cooking blogs, “green” living blogs, living on a budget,  fitness, and home decorating blogs.  One thing to keep in mind is this, if you’re going to sell products (probably through affiliate links), you want the products to cost enough to make it worth your while.  Something else to remember: Pet lovers will spend, irregardless of the economy.  We’re like economy shmonomy, baby needs a new bed!  If you have a favorite breed of dog, you could have a very successful blog built entirely around her.  Ironically, I was in the middle of creating a dog blog when our dog (Wednesday) died.  Broken-hearted, I pulled the plug on the blog.
    
24. Non-Money Blogs. Self Help Daily isn’t one of my “money blogs” – in fact, if I had to rely solely on SHD for income, I’d be hitting up Church mice for loans!  Oddly enough, however, it’d be one of the last ones I’d ever want to lose.  I use this blog to try to make a difference – in individual lives.  I truly, at the core of my being, want to help other people – as well as everything with a face.   I’ve made some incredible online friends through this site and they’re more valuable than money.  I’ve also learned a great, great deal.  While researching subjects for SHD, I always learn something new.  That, my friend, is reason enough to publish a blog.  When we stop learning and growing – we stop living.
25. My favorite sources of making money online. With my blogs that do pay the bills (Office Freaks, Cat Pause, Get Cooking, Strike a Chord, Hollywood Yesterday, Dream Prophesy, Genuine Kentucky…) I use the following and recommend them without reservation:  Google, Chitika, Commission Junction, All Posters, Linkshare, and Amazon.   It’s free, and easy, to sign up with these programs.  They’ll show you step by step what to do along the way.
    
26. Back to the Design of your blog. When choosing the colors of your blog, as well as the layout, think of the tone you want to set for your audience. Do you want your blog to be relaxing and professional?  Blues, grays, and greens would be a safe palette.  Do you want to excite and motivate people – or do you intend to include a lot of humor?  You might want to go with reds, oranges, and/or yellows.  Most of all, be yourself.  You want your blog to represent you.  I walk through life with a banner over my head that says, “Coffee-Chugging, Chocolate-Devouring Animal Lover Extraordinaire” (true story), so you’ll find animals, chocolate, and coffee on all of my blogs – in one form or another.  Also, keep your audience in mind.  Here’s what I mean:  On my Cat Blog, I use colors (and actually even a tone of voice) that I might not choose for my Office Supply blog – and vice versa.  Different readership.  Take a look around at the other blogs, forums, and sites in your niche.  While you want to stand out… if you stand too far from the pack, they’ll never even give you a chance.  Some have been eaten alive.  Remember:  You’re writing for them, they aren’t reading for you.
27. Make your content easy to read. This means that black letters on a white background is your best bet.   Keep in mind that monitors vary greatly – so colors will be darker on some computers than others.  However, a white background and black letters can always be read – and they don’t strain anyone’s eyes.  Be sure your font is large enough also.  Keep in mind that all monitors and all eyeballs aren’t like yours!
28. Navigation. Make it as easy as possible for  your readers to get around your site.  Have your pages clearly marked, as well as your categories.
29. Don’t overwhelm in the sidebars. Sidebars that look like a Vegas strip are distracting and cheapen your purpose.  Money is an attractive thing, but your reputation and character shouldn’t have price tags on them.  Hopefully you work hard on your blog – don’t let a sideshow ruin your good work.
30. When you are a blogger, or web publisher, you aren’t just one when you sit in front of the computer. I think this is where many people mess up.  They don’t even remotely think about what they’re going to say until they sit in front of the screen to write!  Keep a notebook with you 24/7 and write down ideas that come to you throughout the day.   I’m a quote diva, so I always have pen and paper handy for capturing quotes – but I also keep them nearby so I can capture ideas before they get away.
31. Be well-read, well-informed, and in touch with what’s going on around you. I think that the best writers are the most avid readers – of newspapers, magazines, books, other blogs, and so on.  The only information some people have today is the information they had two weeks ago.  Why in the world would I want to read anything they had to say?!
32. Be respectful. In your blog, if you throw words like stupid, bone-head, jerk, and so on around – you belong on a playground, not online.   Be professional and show respect to others.  You can disagree with choices others make, you can disagree with things they say and so – but who are any of us to make fun of them or throw stones?  Personally, I think when people use their blogs or websites as places to wage battles or throw stones – they show a lack of maturity and professionalism that makes them look as bad (maybe worse) than the person they’re gunning for.  If a celebrity, athlete, or public figure falls from grace – don’t stand by, pointing and laughing.  Have more class than that.   Remember – chances are good that they have innocent family members and you are only contributing to their pain.
33. Don’t be afraid to take a stand. As #32 proves, I’m just not afraid to take a stand – whether I’m standing there completely alone or not. You shouldn’t be either. If you believe in your thoughts and convictions – go for it!  This is another reason to be respectful toward others.  What goes around (always, always, always) comes around.  If you’re respectful to others, chances are they’ll be respectful to you – even if they don’t agree with you completely.
34. Write. Write. Write… And then write some more. Do you know when I actually found myself as a writer?  When my husband and I  got married, I was only 19.  He was in the Air Force and we had to move far away from our family.  I missed my mom, dad, aunt, uncle, and grandmother like crazy – so I wrote to them almost daily. I wrote about what I was learning to cook, I wrote about the malls in Wichita Kansas, I wrote about what was on the news, and when we started having babies – I chronicled their every move.   Frequent writing made me completely and totally comfortable with writing – as much as I was with breathing.  The same is true today.  I have many blogs which I update regularly.  Writing often leads to, in my opinion, better writing.  It keeps the brain humming along and I have never run out of words yet.
35. Break long posts up as much as possible with bullet points, headings, bold words, etc. It will help the reader’s experience.
36. Firefox. This may seem like an odd place for a Firefox vs IE debate – but, take it from a die-hard IE user (I clung to it for life!  The traditionalist in me had to have her fingers pried off the big blue e!):  Firefox makes your life easier when it comes to blogging.  When you’re typing along in your editor (or even leaving comments on other blogs), the Fox lets you know immediately if you have a typing error or, somehow, misspelled a word.  Like a good little teacher, he underlines the offensive word with his red marker.  This way, you can go back immediately and correct the error.  (For example, my hands – which are frankly tired at this point – just mistyped the error instead of the error.  I saw the red line and was able to correct it pronto.  If I’d gone back to re-read this post… Heaven help me… I’m pretty sure I would have missed it.  We tend to know what we meant, so that’s what we see!)  Trust me on this one:  Try Firefox for a week and see if you aren’t hooked.
    
37. Add photos to your posts. You can add a lot to your blog by adding great pictures.  If you’re lucky enough to have a great camera, you can even provide the artwork yourself!  If not, search for pictures in the public domain, or find pictures that you can use along with credit.  There are also a lot of great photo sites, where you can pay for the pictures you’d like to use.
38. If you have an All Posters account, using a great looking poster in the post looks sensational AND will earn you money! All Posters is, consistently, one of my best sources of income.
39. Here’s something pretty cool. You can download IrfanView (free free free).  It’s a must have tool, if you ask me.  I use it for resizing pictures, turning them into black and white pictures, taking out chunks, and so forth.  But here’s the extra-cool thing:  You can even give your photos some cool effects – such as “oil painting, sepia, negative” and so on.   I use Photoshop for most graphics and banners, but IrfanView is a fantastic tool.
40. Keep on keeping on. Remember the words of Will Rogers, “Even if you‘re on the right track, you‘ll get run over if you just sit there.” The world wide web is littered with blogs that are nothing but little spots on the road.  Someone got to a point where they just threw up their hands and quit.  Maybe they had writer’s block for a week or two, maybe their knowledge (back to the perils of not reading and learning) dried up, or maybe they got discouraged from a lack of traffic, comments, money, or all three.  The sad thing is, if they had fought THROUGH any of these obstacles – they would have grown by leaps and bounds.  Nothing like a good fight to give you strength you never knew you had!  When you hit a wall, climb over it or walk around it – even if it takes you a while.  It beats sitting down at the foot of the wall and letting it win.  The view from that side of the wall never changes – make the effort to climb over and see new horizons!
41. Twitter. I’m comparatively new to Twitter and don’t spend nearly as much time tweeting as I should.  Not nearly enough!  It’s something I’ve talked to me about and I’ve promised to try harder.  It’s just so darned hard for me to speak with so few words!  My husband can attest to that.
42. E-Mail Signatures. When you have any sort of e-mail correspondence with anyone, include a link to your blog (and maybe even your twitter page) beneath your name.  When I see someone’s link in an e-mail message, I always check it out.  Most people do.
43. Forums. Forums are goldmines of people all gathered together to discuss a particular subject.   Google your niche (your thang) then add a plus sign and forum.  When I put up my cat blog, I sought out cat forums to generate a following.  I googled Cats + forums and found that I’m far from the only cat lover in the world.  We’re a passionate bunch, too!
44. Articles are a great way to promote your blog. I need to make more time for article writing – it’s extremely important.  Visit Ezinearticles.com and GoArticles for rules and guidelines.
    
45. Submit Guest Posts to other blogs. If you write a great, unpublished article that would be relevant to another blog, most blog publishers will be more than happy to take a look at it.  They’ll often publish it, too.  I’ve published quite a few on my blogs.  At the end of your article, you include a word or two about yourself with a link to your blog.  Great exposure!
46. Invite Guest Posts on Your own blog. It’s a great way to get fresh viewpoints, free content, and make new online friends.  Plus, the individual will tell their own readers “Go check out what I’ve written…”  – bringing you more traffic.
47. In the sidebar, as a courtesy to your commentators, include the “Recent Comments” widget. It gives credit to those who are taking the time to share their thoughts and it gives a nice little link to their blog or site.
48. Keep it Classy, please. This is another personal preference (like the “Show Respect” one), but, come on,  maintain a certain level of class and decency.  For one thing, people will come away from what you’ve written with a certain idea of who you are.  If your words paint the picture of a crass, crude, vulgar, and tasteless individual – that’s how others will see you.  What would your momma say?! Also, keep in mind that kids can see what you put up whether you intended for them to or not.  I spend enough time online to know that there simply aren’t many ladies and gentlemen left anymore.  There’s a real lack of class out there. (Why do so many women think that to be taken seriously or to come across as “tough” they have to use language that’s drop the jaw of a veteran marine?)  Be professional and keep it classy.
    
49. Don’t stress about the number of comments! On Self Help Daily, for example, I get about 10 e-mails for every one comment.  My readers simply prefer to talk about subjects in e-mail!  That’s perfectly fine with me. After all, some things are kind of private and most people don’t want to own up to nasty tempers or a fear of the dark.   I used to stress over comments, but I honestly don’t think about them much any more.   I treasure the ones I get, but don’t give the ones I don’t get a second thought.
50. Keep your priorities straight. Yes, to succeed you’ll need to write and write often.  You’ll also need to network, tweet, read, research, and so on.  But, remember, you have a life!  Don’t ever let your family see the back of your head more than they do the front!  Remember to get plenty of exercise, play with the kids, take the wife out to dinner, take the husband to a movie, play with your cats, do the dishes…. Actually, the more you have going on in your life, the better your writing will be.  Those who sit in front of a computer for 95 percent of their day tend to bore the leaves off of a tree and the feathers off of an owl.
51. Link to others generously. Don’t get so caught up rounding up links to your blog that you act like a 3 year old on a playground:  “Give me, give me, give me!”  If someone has a great site or information that your readers would benefit from, link to it… without even thinking about a link back.  Also, be courteous when seeking out links.  Don’t ever contact someone then expect them to link you first.  Pet peeve!  I hate rudeness like that. No one wears rudeness well.
    
52. Keep an eye on stats, but don’t become obsessive. If people spent as much time creating content and writing as they do researching keywords, search engine stats, and so forth they’d be a lot better off.
53. I’m sure I’ve said this before, but it’s that important:  Write for your readers! They are the ones who matter.  Make the experience about them, not you.  If someone disagrees with you, thank them for keeping you on your toes!  You don’t have to see eye to eye on everything.  Be respectful. Be mature. Be courteous.
54. Go back periodically and double-check older posts. Never change the post slug, but feel free to make amendments within the post if need be.   People find old posts – through search engines and through your “related posts.”  Never neglect old posts – it may be the first encounter a new reader has with you.  I often go back and at least add an EDIT to the bottom – to flesh out what I should have said, or make changes if there need to be any.
    

I’m sure that at some point, something else will pop into my head.  Isn’t that the way it goes? When it happens, I’ll come back and edit this post. If you have any tips to add.. please do so in the comments!  – Joi

Blogs and Resources That are Worth Their Weight in Gold:

How to Make My Blog
Problogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-figure Income
Problogger.net

EDITS: I”m currently madly in love with the plugin WP-SPAMFREE.  It’s the best spam plugin I’ve used.

#20:  New versions of Thesis are now so incredibly customizable and sexy they don’t require this plugin.