Like every good blogger, there are days where you just can’t get enough words on the page. However, there are some techniques that can make your blog posts longer with it seeming like a lot more work. Writing about interesting topics, outlining your posts, and including images are all ways that can help make posts longer. [Read more…]
Because visuals can make or break a blog post, it is crucial that you choose the right images for each post. The photos’ subject, colors, size, and placement can positively impact your post’s success.
The most important part of any image is logistical over visual. Only choose images that you have the rights to use. For larger blogs, it may be worthwhile to invest in a stock photo site membership, like Shutterstock or iStockPhoto. If you’d rather go with royalty-free or creative commons photos, be sure you are using the right attribution and that you can use them. For example, some creative commons photos only let you use images for non-commercial use. If you use the image for a business blog, which counts as a commercial property, so you technically can’t use non-commercial creative commons images. [Read more…]
It’s hard to decide which paid WordPress plugins to actually invest in, especially since there are so many choices all over the internet. However, after scouring a list of “Best WordPress Plugins” blog posts, I narrowed down the selection a few that were recommended multiple times or had great online reviews. [Read more…]
We have covered places to find free and legal images in the past, but with a new year comes even more reliable sources for finding free image sources for your blog. As with any creative work, even though it may be free to use, be sure to use correct attribution and make sure that you are crediting the author in all ways necessary. Not doing so may lead to legal issues, as some images are free as long as bloggers follow the proper guidelines. [Read more…]
Blog commenting can be a great way to get to know your fellow bloggers on other blogs, while also building a community within your own blog.
However, spam comments have reached a critical mass, often taking up the majority of the time of bloggers who just want to be able to filter out the great, original comments from the fake ones.
Besides installing a plugin to fight spam, there are a few other things you can be on the lookout for that will help you determine whether or not a comment is spam or is genuine. [Read more…]
Whether you are a blogger for your own blog or for others’ (or both!) finding the best freelance blogging jobs can sometimes be a difficult one. There are so many websites out there claiming to offer legitmate writing jobs, but there aren’t many out there that are actual, legitimate leads. [Read more…]
If you have any inclination about SEO when you’re a blogger (which you should, as SEO can help increase your blog’s traffic and engagement), then you know that being sure you use the right main keywords when you are writing blog posts can help people find your content when they are searching for it via search engines. [Read more…]
After Instagram announced that they were allowing embeds of Instagram posts on websites via their blog, many bloggers have taken advantage and have started using embed codes instead of copy and pasting Instagram images or taking a screenshot of an image to re-post it to their page.
Even though you can still only post images via an app on a mobile device, Instagram has become a huge social media platform that brands and bloggers should be utilizing. Many ways to do this include interacting via the community through Instagram photo challenges, contests, custom hashtags, and artistic photos that showcase the blog or company’s values and products.
After you sign up for an account (if you don’t have one already), here are some of the reasons why you should be embedding more Instagram posts on your blog: [Read more…]
Maintaining a well-oiled blog can be a difficult process that can be hard to do when you are out of town for a conference, vacation, or other engagement. However, with a little bit of planning, it can be easy to make sure your blog stays updated while you aren’t at home.
In order to be a good blogger while you are away, you also need to be a good one while you are at home. Be sure to take advantage of a free writer’s resource area website that offers tips on effective blogging that gets your point across while also being time efficient. These tips are helpful no matter where you are blogging from.
If you’re going to be away for a long period of time, it may be helpful to use a freelancer to fill in the content gaps when you aren’t able to. Hire a capable freelancer from a site like oDesk or FlexJobs that has a background that is related to your blog’s main topics. It’s best to hire someone before you leave so you have time to learn their writing style and they will be able to learn the type of content and formatting you like.
If you can fit it into your schedule, start stockpiling blog posts that can be scheduled out while you are away from your office. These can be evergreen topics which are timeless and contain useful information that anyone can use, even in the future. Some ideas might be best practices, trends in the last year, or tutorials that will still be timely in the time you are gone.
Another option is to write about your travels and what you are doing out of the office, if it’s possible. For instance, if you are going to a conference or event that is related to your blog, it would be great to do a round-up post with what you have learned, photos, and key takeaways that you will be able to put into practice with your blog or work once you get back to your home base.
No matter which option you decide to take (which could be a combination of all of the above, depending on what time allows and the amount of content you need for your site), making sure your blog stays active while you are away can help keep your traffic engaged and showcases your dedication.
Whether you are a fan of the current White House Administration or not, there is little debate that the White House blog has done a great job when it comes to their online presence and strategy. There are several things the White House blog is doing right that other bloggers can emulate, which will hopefully translate into more traffic and better engagement.
The White House blog has a lot of great written content, but it also ties that in with a variety of media mediums that help illustrate its point. This includes embedding YouTube videos and SoundClouds (like the one below that they did of one of President Obama’s speeches), as well as including a lot of photos.
Screenshot taken 12/12/2013 [Read more…]
