CornerScribe

Archive for the ‘Weblogs’ Category

Well, so much for practicing what I preach.

Yes, I was ready for NaNoEdMo. I had blog ideas lined up so posting would be a breeze. I was all set, except for that little flu thing. So, no posts because I didn’t have a stockpile ready.

It just goes to show, it’s one thing to know what’s a good idea, another to do it.

I’m finally getting back to myself, and I’ll be back to a normal posting schedule too. Thanks for bearing with me.

Dear blogger,

1. Put sound on your site. It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it’s noisy. Music and ads work equally well.
2. Bonus points if it’s exceptionally loud.
3. Double bonus if it’s also a little racy, the kind of thing I don’t want everyone in my department hearing.
4. Make your site slooooooooooow to load. If it’s taking less than 30 seconds, add a few more widgets and animations.
5. Add more animations anyway, you know you want to.
6. Put what I’m looking for somewhere I’ll never find it. This goes double for Entrecarders. I don’t care if your widget is above the fold, just put it somewhere on the FRONT PAGE for crying out loud!
7. Write a one line summary and then link to someone else’s REAL article. I bet they love it when you try to make money from their work. I know I love being sent on a wild goose chase for it.
8. How about some nice pop up ads?
9. Bonus points if the ad shows a nearly naked woman. Yep, I want someone wandering by and seeing me looking at that.
10. Choose some funky color combination that will make your blog virtually impossible to read. Even better, make it migraine inducing.

I’ve been talking about getting more serious about traffic and RSS subscribers as part of this year’s blogging goals. Here’s how I did in January, and more importantly, how I did it.

In December I had only about 4300 page views. Not very spectacular, is it? In January, that was 10,500. I’m very pleased with that.

I also increased my RSS subscribers from low 20’s to about 30. Right now, it’s 31. RSS subscriptions are very tough to get (and keep), so I’m happy with that as well.

How did I do it?

I did a few things differently to promote the site. I’m not sure which had the greatest effect, but overall things are working well.

• I joined Entrecard. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I was concerned about the quality of traffic. I’m seeing not only more visits, but more subscribers and more commenters. I think it has turned out to be a good choice.
• I participated in a writing contest at Daily Blog Tips. Writing contests are a great traffic builder, especially when the site is as popular as his.
• I ran a contest to increase RSS subscribers. Also, I repeatedly reminded people of the contest and asked them to subscribe.
• I participated in the forums over at Entrecard. Specifically, I participated in stumble exchanges. StumbleUpon is a consistent source of traffic for me anyway, so it makes sense to drive more to the site if possible.

I plan on keeping up the same tactics for this month, minus the contest. I may run some sort of Entrecard contest later this month, but I haven’t decided what it might be.

As I’ve already mentioned, I’m participating in Project Wonderful.  I’m ready to begin buying ads there instead of only selling them, and I’m hoping that will boost my traffic as well. If you’re running ads and have a good deal, leave me a comment. I’m shopping for some ad space.

I don’t expect to see another doubling of page views (though it would be nice!). I do want to see a significant increase, maybe to 15000 or better. If anyone has any tips I that have worked well for you, leave them in the comments.

Daily Blog Tips has run another contest, and here are my votes for the best posts. Head over and check out the whole list; there are some great posts there.

How to Print Blog Articles the Smart Way

8 Effective Ways to Increase RSS Readership

How to Add More Sidebar Text Widgets

Display User Welcome Message

Make Money with a Poor Man’s BANS

You’ve probably notice the Project Wonderful ad box in my sidebar. Project Wonderful allows you to auction off ad space on your site to the highest bidder, or bid or ad space. It uses an ebay style auction system that allows you to set maximum bids, so you don’t have to stay tied to the computer.

What I like so far

1. You have the option to approve (or reject) all advertisers. Although I’m set to not run anything NSFW (not safe for work), that didn’t stop something I considered very NSFW showing up as a bid.
2. You can automatically approve ads from sites you’ve already approved. That’s a big time saver.
3. You can control the placement and number of ads.
4. It gives small sites or those just getting in to advertising a way to sell some ads.

What I don’t like

1.  So far, the prices have been very low. I’m hoping that as the site builds a track record, the price will go up. As it is, it’s hardly worth the trouble.
2. In order to sell ads, I almost have to accept a lot that don’t have a lot of relevance to the site.
3. Project Wonderful uses their own code to estimate page views, which is much less than what my stats software calculates.
4. You can’t make some alterations to the ad block once bidding has started. So, things like placement and the number of ads can’t be easily changed.

I’ve been running it only a couple of days, so I’m still open. These are just my initial reactions, and I’ll keep you up to date as the month progresses.

One of my blogging goals, is to increase my RSS subscriptions this year. I’m hovering in the 20s, and have been for some time. That’s very low for the number of visitors and page views I’m seeing.

I’d like to see my subscriptions above 30 by the end of January. I know that’s more than 10 percent, but I think it’s very doable too.

Here’s where you come in. I’m asking my readers to go ahead and subscribe to my RSS feed. You can do a feed reader (like Google or Bloglines) or subscribe via e-mail.

Thanks!

If you’re like me, you read a lot of blogs and subscribe to even more feeds. Still, there are probably some blogs that you really love. These are the ones you wait for and look forward to. What if you want to do something to say thank you?

1. Say thank you. Leave a comment or write an email telling the blogger how much you enjoy his or her posts. If you write an email, tell them it’s okay to use it as a recommendation on their site.
2. Post a link on your own blog or site. You’ll recommend a great site to your readers, and you’ll drive some much appreciated traffic to a site you enjoy.
3. Subscribe to their RSS feed. Even sites with respectable traffic can still have abysmal RSS subscriber numbers (I’m one of them!). Since RSS subscriber numbers can affect whether you can advertise on your feed, these numbers are important.
4. Participate! Post comments on their site. If there’s a contest or poll, consider participating. If the blogger asks for feedback, give it. You’ll help build a strong community and show your appreciation.
5. If you’re willing to put in a little more time, write a review of the blog on your own site. Send the blogger the link when you’re finished.

If you’re willing to dip into your pockets, there are ways to support your favorite bloggers that can also help them pay the bills, and presumably keep on blogging.

1. If the blogger sells a book, product, etc., then consider buying it. If it’s not something you particularly want, perhaps you can offer it as a contest prize on your own site.
2. If you’re shopping for something and your blogger has an affiliate link to it, use their link. Amazon purchases are a perfect example. Instead of shopping directly at Amazon, use an affiliate link instead. The blogger will get a commission on your sale, and you don’t pay any extra.
3. Take time to check out the blogger’s ads. If you’re interested in the blog, then you might be interested in some of the sites that advertise there as well. I’m not telling you to start clicking willy-nilly, but you should consider clicking those you find interesting.
4. Buy advertising. If you have your own site, consider buying an ad on a site you enjoy. It benefits both of you!
5. Donate. If your blogger has a donate button or tip jar, consider dropping off a dollar or two. Even a small amount will show your appreciation.

Even if you’re using a free blogging platform, maintaining a blog is a huge investment in time. For most bloggers, it’s also somewhat of a financial investment as well. Take a few minutes and do something to show how much you appreciate the blogs you read.

If you’re looking for a piece of free software to get something done, then check out Paperback Writer’s list. Wow, this is huge, and definitely worth bookmarking.

Here’s a list of top blogs for writers. If you’re looking for a new blog to add to your RSS feed (and who isn’t!), then this list is one to check out.

Here’s a contest to win $500, if you’re feeling lucky.

Check out this list to find a freelancing job.

Here’s another market listing from Paperback Writer. If you’re not already reading her blog regularly, why not?

Here in the middle of NaNo, I thought it would be fun to link to some other interesting sites.

Punctuation fun on flickr. Think about how you’d punctuate it, or simply read it aloud.

Design Your Life

What would you do if you could do whatever you want each day. Although this article isn’t specifically directed at writers, it certainly is something to think about. What would your writing day be like? Think about what you want your days to be like, and what do you need to do to make it so.

SEO Tips for Bloggers

This article gives some great tips, and some great advice for optimizing your blog.

How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier

That’s a great title, and a great post. ‘Nuff said.

As you know, I’m busy NaNo-ing this month. For those of you who may have missed these, here are five of the most popular blog posts on the site. Take a minute and check them out, and then get back to your novel!

Get Ready for NaNo

Two Great Market Resources

Short Story Markets

Writing Tools

What’s Holding You Back?