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I shared this link on the forum already but I think it is such a great tip that I’m double-posting it! I think the toughest part, as with lots of new things for me, will be to moderate my monitoring. I love research so sometimes I tend to “think” more than I actually “do”.
Do any of you also do this? Or are you the opposite – more action and learn as you go?
Happy blogging!
So, did anyone catch ProBlogger’s mistake?
Take a look at the upper right hand portion of his page.
You’ll see this in a box on the page:
Subscribe to Problogger Blog Tips
Subscribe to Problogger via RSS
What is RSS?
Follow @ProBlogger on Twitter
Notice anything?
Sometimes he refers to himself as Problogger (lower case “b”) and sometimes ProBlogger (upper case “B”). Of course, this is a small thing…except when you are a big time blogger! Consistency is a very important part of branding. Especially when it comes to your name!
Consistency is key across the board though…you should be as consistent as possible with your name, the title of your site to your url, your Twitter ID, name on your Facebook page, etc. If you are not consistent it will not only affect how people perceive you (it may strike them as unprofessional) but also might affect people being able to find you when they search for you on the internet or to connect via social media. What if a friend of a friend told so and so about this great blog she read and she gives them, what she thinks is the name of your blog but accidentally gives your Twitter ID. Will this ne potential visitor be able to find your site?
Consistency isn’t just important when it comes to words…it also extends to images. Are you consistent with your branding? Is your logo recognizable? When people see your Favicon will they immediately think of your site? Your business cards? Your fonts?
If you are effectively branding, you will be consistent. ProBlogger should always use a capital “B” for instance. If you use an “and” in your name you should be consistent whether you the word “and” or an ampersand “&”.
Sometimes it is hard to see the forest for the trees however! Have a friend proofread your blog if you can or request feedback on the forum or from another member.
Take a moment to visit another member’s blog. Leave them a comment. Leave a comment here! Better Your Blog
I was doing Day 6 homework for 31 Days to Build a Better Blog and I read a tip that was in a nutshell – post often so you don’t have to apologize to your readers about being MIA.
Although I understand this tip, I don’t agree with it 100%. I would rather someone blog passionately, relevantly and provide content I like consistently rather than frequent posts that have no meaning. But what I like isn’t what everybody else likes, which is why blogging is such big business and even people who rant about nothing can become popular. So, a few tips that work across the board, no matter your niche, no matter your content, no matter your style…
Be true to yourself: Be honest, don’t promise to write everyday and write what my boyfriend and I refer to as a “filler post”. Your are your own boss when it comes to blogging so blog when you want to and bring your readers something valuable instead of just “something”. Don’t apologize for not blogging. I think we may have all done this at some point but, you know what? It isn’t necessary. Just keep blogging. I don’t want to read a post about why you’ve been away unless it is relevant to your blog. If I’m new to your blog and this is the first post that I come across, my first impression is that your flaky and the content I went for isn’t even there. Or updated. Or both! Blog. Blog as often as you can with passion and on point. Stop apologizing and spend that energy producing another post!
Be true to yourself and represent yourself honestly because people will be more likely to connect with, respect and share your blog with others if you are honest in your writing and in your conveyance of yourself.
Be true to your readers: Because they don’t deserve less. Don’t make excuses, don’t lie to them. Ever. Especially if your blog is part of your business. Honesty is the best policy.
Be true to your blog: No matter why you bog or what you blog about – be clear on these points so that you are true to your blog and it’s purpose. You don’t have to have a niche and you don’t have to be boring to be on topic. You don’t even have to produce lots of content if that isn’t what your blog is about. The point is, whatever your blog IS about – keep it that way. If you need another outlet for more of your ideas, create another blog. If you blog for business, keep it about business and have a personal blog for personal stuff. If you blog to rant, rant. If you have different passions that complement each other, go ahead and house them together at one blog, just make sure to categorize them well so people can connect and find things easily – you can do this with tagging, different pages for different content, devoting one day to something special, etc.
If you haven’t joined us over at the forum, now is a great time to do so! You can promote your blog, help other bloggers, improve your blog, network, ask questions and more…come, Better Your Blog.
photo credit: whatleydude
Yesterday, I created a section for Lists Posts on the forum for those who are participating in the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog project and, lo and behold, today I write a list post on my other blog! I’ll admit, it wasn’t consciously that I completed this task but must have been on my mind from reading Darren’s list post about list posts. (try to say that five times fast!)
I thought it might be good to allow my fellow bloggers to critique my list post (go ahead, be honest!) so that it can be a learning experience here for those who have yet to do this assignment.
Do you think I was successful with some of the key points Darren talks about? Is my post scannable? Succinct? Neat? Comprehensive? Persuasive?
What could I have done better? What did you like the most? Please feel free to critique the post here by leaving a comment or on the forum.
Now it’s your turn! Go to the forum and share your list post and get feedback from members (please, visit at least one other members list post and provide them with feedback on the forum)
