52 Ways To Improve Your Blogging

Image: Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Everyone and their mother currently has a blog, and the competition these days is as fierce as ever. So, with that in mind, what can you do to make your blog stand out from the rest?

Well, you could be a lazy bum and do nothing. Or, and I’m just throwing this out there, you could take my advice and use the tips below to improve your blog.

The ball’s in your court.

(Disclaimer: this post is in no way definitive. It may not, in fact, even help you improve your blog. There’s also a chance that, as you read this, gremlins will jump out of your microwave and eat your face.

These are the risks we are confronted with in this vast and awesome universe. Consider yourself disclaimer’d.)

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The Slow Success Of Electronic Literature

When ebooks first entered stage left, I have to admit I was suspicious: could digital copies of books really succeed compared to their all-natural counterparts?

Well, years passed and technology improved, and now Amazon’s Kindle is blazing a path to glory. Just check out Amazon’s homepage and you’ll find a nice, lengthy letter by founder and CEO Jeff Bezos announcing the third generation of their device, which is lighter and includes a battery that lasts for a whole month. This announcement came not long after it was reported that the current generation has sold out.

They are, understandably, amazingly popular.

And yet I’m still not convinced. Even with the news that Stieg Larsson has become the first author to sell one million Kindle books, a hallmark that would seem to prove ebooks have acquired a lasting acceptance among many readers, I can't help but prefer holding an actual paperback in my hands. Perhaps I’m old fashioned.

Then there’s the fact that my first experience with a Kindle was at a Target, where I poked at it as an old, homeless man sang to the back wall near the guitar strings.

It’s those kinds of emotional connections that make memories last a lifetime.

Bestsellers, Prices, and the Competition

Despite my own, personal feelings, there's no doubt that ebooks are becoming very successful, and Kindle book sales share a lot in common with traditional book sales.

Looking at Amazon’s bestsellers lists for traditional books and their Kindle versions, for example, we see only a slight variation in the top ten, with the top three positions of both currently dominated by the late Stieg Larsson and his Millennium Trilogy.

Several books, however, do not appear on the Kindle list, as they are not available electronically.

As for price, ebooks typically run consumers a few dollars less, which along with their accessibility make them all the more desirable, though there are a good number of ebooks priced similarly to traditional books (unfortunately). Furthermore, there is an assortment of ebooks available to download for free.

It’s also curious to note that, on ebooks listed over Amazon’s preferred $9.99 price point (which was challenged earlier this year), the website makes this quaint distinction: “This price was set by the publisher.”

Of course, you don’t have to rely on Amazon for your ebook fix. Barnes & Noble has found great success with its Nook, and many other e-readers are currently available on the market. There are also other ebook retailers.

The Future of the Ebook

There’s something great about having your entire library of books in the palm of your hand, to be able to wirelessly download complete novels in 60 seconds. But it’s not without its downsides. What you gain in accessibility and storage space, you lose in control.

The same can be said of all digital media -- music, games, movies. This is still new territory, and publishers are currently figuring out the best way to go about delivering their content while still protecting their properties. So, as consumers, we have the choice to either wait it out or go along for the ride.

It’s clear at this point that many have decided to jump in headfirst, and I don't see a point at which ebook sales will slow down (save for the ever-present possibility of, say, a massive solar flare/EMP/apocalypse, in which case regular books have the distinct advantage).

I'm addicted to Steam.
And Monkey Island.

As with mp3 downloads on Itunes, instantly streaming movies on Netflix, and digital game distribution on Valve’s Steam, while consumers may at first be hesitant to give up something tangible in favor of digital media, they eventually come around as soon as someone makes the process accessible and reasonably priced.

So, my prediction: the good, old-fashioned book isn’t going anywhere (CDs still exist, don’t they?), but the sales of ebooks will continue to rise as the devices get better and publishers work out the best ways to deliver and price their products.

There will always be, at least in the foreseeable future, a market for both.

Do you own an e-reader? Do you want one? What are your opinions on the fate of traditional media?

Make your blog content great by putting in the effort

I’ve always wondered how much effort the average blogger puts into his or her writing. It stands to reason that authors of the most successful blogs are extremely dedicated and do their absolute best, but down here among the rest of us -- with how much care do we work on our articles?

I have no answer to that question. Every blogger is different, and the amount of time and effort you take to craft a great article will differ in comparison to other bloggers. However, it's clear that the more successful bloggers do their best, and there are at least a few things you can do to improve your own blog’s content.

Taking the time

Image: Shaz Ni

There are a lot of opinions on just how long you should spend working on a blog post, but the general consensus is that any given article will simply take as long as it takes. There is no magic number.

Some bloggers claim to be able to write a post in as little as 10 minutes (or perhaps 20), while others take their time and ferment their ideas, planning and researching and providing as much relevant information as possible. Much of the time spent creating a post is away from the computer, simply thinking about and coming up with those ideas.

Have some patience when working on your posts. Format them well, check for proper punctuation and spelling, and snatch up a relevant image to accompany your content.

Of course, we can’t all spend infinite amounts of time on our blogs; it just isn’t feasible. So time management and planning are important. Even so, allow yourself to slow down on occasion to ensure that you’ve given your posts the right amount of attention.

Adding value

Image: CCAC North Library

Your blog content should be relevant and valuable to your readers. If you’re writing a how-to article, provide resources and citations, and link to relevant articles on other blogs. Also provide links to relevant posts within your own blog. The more value you add to your content, the better.

In some articles, research is a major part of that added value. Research can include, as mentioned before, locating relevant links and resources, but it can go much deeper than that -- doing your own investigation into a topic and unearthing potentially new information is a great way to add value.

Value can also be much more than simply information. You can use humor to make your posts entertaining. Look at your topics in a different, more creative way to force your readers into thinking a little more deeply about them. Emphasize your personal voice, and share your own experiences. Take advantage of different media, such as audio and video, to spread your message to larger audiences and provide more options to your readers.

Say something unique, do something different.

Joining the fray 

Image: christian.senger

I’ve always felt that message is, above all else, the most important aspect of any form of communication. However, you cannot ignore the fact that without promotion and putting yourself out there no one will see that message.

It’s a simple fact of life, and a vicious conundrum (you can have a great message but it may never be seen, while a poor message with fantastic promotion will be plastered everywhere).

Spending time working on your blog and writing valuable content is very important, but almost equally important is joining the blogosphere and spreading the word.

Join social networks such as StumbleUpon, Digg, BlogCatalog, and others, and never forget to visit other blogs within your niche and leave worthwhile comments. Research other methods of promotion and community building.

It is, I suppose, possible to maintain a successful blog without any promotion whatsoever, and it is up to you to decide whether or not it’s worth it to pursue social networking. However, fostering a well-rounded community and connecting with like-minded bloggers will make your blogging experience far richer, and perhaps push you to do even better.

Just do it

Blogging is time-consuming. It’s hard work. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. There isn’t a single successful blogger out there who did not put in the time and effort to get to where they are today. They struggled, they worked, they waited. It is not easy. But we’ve got to keep our heads down and power through, you know, and sacrifice (yes, I’m quoting Arrested Development). There’s really not much more to it.

How much effort do you put into your blog? How much time do you spend promoting your blog? Is it even possible to write great content without taking the time to revise and reorganize your thoughts?

The Writer's Pulse @ Twitter

For anyone who may be interested, I've started updating @writerspulse with news and articles I find relevant to the writing world. A lot of it will be things I probably won't mention on the blog, but that are nonetheless interesting.

So why not go on over to Twitter and follow @writerspulse? You know it's the right thing to do.

Content is king, no matter where you go

When a person is first starting out on that long, lonely road to Internet superstardom (that is, when they’ve first decided they want to create a blog), a lot of questions go through their mind.

What should I blog about? Will anyone want to read what I have to say? How much money can I make? Should I use Wordpress or Blogger?

There! Did you see it? That last one?

Image: Irargerich

Should you use Wordpress or Blogger? Pfft. I can’t walk into a single blogging forum without someone asking that one solitary question. And while we’re at it, let’s throw in some other blogging platforms, like Tumblr or Typepad or this new Posterous thing. There really are quite a few to choose from. And by few, I mean lots and lots and lots.

They all have their pros and cons, too. With Blogger, you get a fantastic starting point, an easy-to-use interface and a generally great set of basic tools. With Wordpress, you get a greater ability to customize your blog, greater control over your content, and access to countless plug-ins that will enable you to do some pretty nifty things.

There is, of course, a distinction to be made between free-hosted Wordpress vs. Blogger, and self-hosted Wordpress vs. Blogger (the latter having even greater differences), but for all intents and purposes, let’s just say that Wordpress in general provides you with more options than Blogger.

What now?

Good. I’m glad we got that out of the way. Now I can say this: none of it really matters.

Image: levyfulop

That’s right: I am telling you right now, with a straight face, that it doesn’t particularly matter which blogging platform you use. Yes, some give you more control, which is a good thing if you’re really, truly serious about blogging (in a professional sense, I suppose), but I honestly believe that platform is secondary to message.

Think about it. If I’m visiting a blog for the first time and the content is poor, I’m not going to care about your fancy domain name, your professionally-designed theme, or which blogging platform you’ve decided to rally behind.

On the other hand, if I’m visiting your blog for the first time and the content is great, I might just overlook the fact that your theme is somewhat jarring and it’s not self-hosted. In fact, there’s a very good chance I’ll return.

So no, I don’t think this never-ending debate about blogging platforms is necessary. Yes, I think self-hosting is ultimately the way to go if you’re all about planning for the future. And yes, Wordpress is, in my opinion, better than Blogger (however, Blogger In Draft is making great strides).

But despite all of that, instead of worrying about themes and platforms and gadgets and plug-ins and all of those superfluous things, concentrate first on providing your visitors with something worthwhile. Choose the platform that works best for your needs and the needs of your audience, not the one you think is most popular.

Because if you build it, they will come. It doesn’t really matter where.