So You Want To Start Blogging
Developing Content for a Blog Post
When you start creating a blog it’s very important to understand that you will not spend as much time writing for your blog as you might think. Be prepared, because you’ll soon find out that one of the secrets to blogging success is reading and posting comments on other more popular blogs.
Here’s why reading and posting comments is vital to your blog’s success. You will:
- Discover blog post ideas
- Improve blog traffic
- Get your blog noticed within the community
- Learn techniques to enhance the content of your blog
- Gain credibility in your niche
- Connect and develop relationships with other bloggers
- Develop your writing skills
Take a look at this commenting strategy in an excerpt from a post found on Zemalf’s Trek In The Blogosphere called Website Traffic Analysis – Lessons For Blog Promotion.
For effective blog commenting:
- Comment to add to the discussion first, everything else is a bonus
- Spam comments will not send you any traffic, so forget it
- Be among the first ones to comment (if the comments are displayed with the oldest on top)
- Leave meaningful and value-adding comments
- Use your real name
- Always adopt to the blog comment rules of the blog
- Link back to your site from the comment text only if it is really relevant, and if the comment policy allows such links. Make sure the comment itself is beneficial even without the link, which is for additional information.
Now your ready to get started reading and commenting on blogs in your field of interest. Start building your blog from the ground up. Keeping track of the comments you leave is easy with a bookmarking service like Diigo*. You’ll soon find yourself developing content on the way to your first blog post.
On my blog Ms. Ileane Speaks I have over 350 comments from visitors with 63 comments on Fun Twitter Promotions for Your Blog. Why don’t you join in and start by commenting on this post. I’d love to hear your feedback.
*Learn how to use Diigo on this page I created - WordPress.com Diigo Group.
UPDATE: I found an excellent post from Robert Bravery of Integral Web Solutions – Where To Find Blog Post Ideas that shares tips from 6 great bloggers about where they get blogging ideas, be sure to check it out.
Bishwajeet Mahato
Ileane Smith
Thanks Ileane. Good information. But I never received any word from Twitter they did this to me. O well, at least I know I wasn’t hacked.
element321´s last blog ..Annoyed…Twitter Account Got Hacked
James, this is an article on TechCrunch about Twitter having users reset their passwords http://bit.ly/aPCgkZ
Ileane, I did not see, any of your tweets. I have not been on Twitter much lately. What was that tweet about?
element321´s last blog ..Annoyed…Twitter Account Got Hacked
Hi Ileane, You make some great points. The power of commenting and the sheer pleasure it is to have a pseudoconversation with likeminded individuals is very under-estimated at times.
My only counterpoint is about always using a real name. Sometimes, for professional reasons, it’s really difficult to use my real name. Now that I’m changing jobs, it won’t matter so much, but with my last job, the corporate policy on social media and the non-compete agreements made it very difficult to be consistent in using my name.
By the way – great job on the blog!
Samantha´s last blog ..Competing for Wages on Elance
Samantha, wow, that’s great news that you have a new employer. I don’t blog about anything that is job related, do I don’t need to worry, but I can certainly see your point. Thanks for the input.
Best wishes in your new position.
Ileane.
Great post. I can tell the difference with traffic when I do not comment. I try and read around 10 – 20 different blogs a day and post on everyone that I can I add something helpful to conversation. Over the last couple of days I have been sick with migraines and couldn’t even read the computer screens. So today I was watching my traffic to see how bad it went down. Each day I went down at least 20 percent. So now I am averaging about 30 new readers a day. So its time to get back to work.
element321´s last blog ..Annoyed…Twitter Account Got Hacked
Ouch, migraines suck. I’m glad you are feeling better. Did you see my tweet yet about Twitter passwords being reset?
Hey Ileane,
Really a great post. Surely this will help me to learn about Blogging. Looking forward to more of such amazing posts.
Kunjal Kamdar´s last blog ..Looking for someone? Start your search here
Good solid tips there Ileane.
Many new bloggers really do think that they will have an opportunity to sit and write continually, but as you have pointed out, that is only a portion of the process. It is not just about writing, but building relationships and contributing to communities, while helping others.
This blog is looking great BTW.
Jimi Jones´s last blog ..Build a Great Twitter Profile
Hi Jimi. Thanks for visiting.
Hey Ileane Thanks for mentioning the Paragraph Collaboration post.
A gold mine of a post for newbie bloggers. Nice one.
Robert Bravery´s last blog ..With Friends Like These
Sure thing Robert. I look forward to being part of the next collaboration post. Thanks for commenting here.
It feels so nice when somebody reads my posts and writes there something, be it positive or they disagree. In both case I realize my belief is proved right or is corrected.
The role of commenting is more and more realized these days. Blogs are becoming more comment friendly. It an initiative from both sides. The blog authors are inclined more generous and commenters being more responsible and quality comments. This has developed benefits from and for both sides.
You emphasized the benefits for readers commenting other’s blogs. I think I’ll write a post on the other side of the coin – What are the benefits of allowing others to write comments on your blog? How do you like the idea?
Suresh Khanal´s last blog ..How can I decide what should be my next post?
Hey Suresh, I think that is a wonderful idea. I can talk about commenting all day! Tweet me when your post is published.
As a blogger it’s always good to comment on blogs and engage with bloggers all in your niche to enable you to be noticed
.
Great tips, Ileane
.
Shirley´s last blog ..Discussion: Why Hasn’t My Teeth Turned White With All These Twitter Teeth Whitening Ads?
Thanks Shirley, nice to see you here.
Hi Ileane.. All of your tips above are true because it help blogger to build community around and sharing the thought by commenting is one of the main idea of blogging
ysfirdaus´s last blog ..5 Advices for Non-English Writer
Hi Ysfirdaus,
Thanks for visiting and your comment.
When I first started blogging I was amazed by the amount of time I had to put into the blog marketing aspect and one of these methods is blog reading and blog commenting. Unfortunately and fortunately at the same time blog commenting takes the most effort but also provides the largest return on investment.
Great article Ileane
Brian, I think that sometimes people forget that blogging is social networking too. Especially when you find wonderful communities like Blog Engage. Now you have floored me by inviting us all to indulge in another amazing networking activity. BloggingWire.com is another great idea, thanks so much for this opportunity.
Thanks for your great comment too!
Those are all great tips and I really appreciate the link to Site Sketch 101.
I often say that comments are the life blood of a successful blog. Being able to leave good, well though out comments that really contribute to the community are incredibly valuable both to the person leaving the comment and to the blog owner where the comment was left.
Hi Nicholas,
Thanks for visiting. I’m just getting started on this blog but I’m sure to be linking to your blog again in the future.