Tuesday, 21 May 2013

Some things I've learned so far (about blogging)

I thought I'd put up a quick list of things I've learned since starting my blog. Some are pretty obvious but they're things I didn't know at the start of my blogging adventure:

  1. If someone follows you, it's polite to follow back - if I forgot to follow you back, do let me know please ;)
  2. It's good if you have a link to your blog somewhere on your Blogger profile (or Google+ profile as the case may be)
  3. When you switch your blog's URL
    • you need to change a lot of links from previous posts, as well as in your blog pages
    • all your stats get brought to the new blog, and yet Google still knows that your old blog is the one that got all the visits, so it takes time to get the new blog as well known by the Google bots - a really good way of helping this is participating in the A to Z challenge ;)
  4. You can list your most popular posts by weekly, monthly or "all time" popularity (thanks Father Dragon for the tip!)
  5. Captcha is really annoying and you can't even tell if you have it set to "on" without checking, because your own comments post just fine. Also, for some unlucky blogs, not having Captcha on means getting heaps of spam (so glad this isn't me!)
  6. There's no accounting for which posts of yours are going to get the most views - sometimes there seems to be no rhyme or reason to it!
  7. Blogfests/hops are a great way to meet new bloggers and get activity on your blog! Plus, they're excellent for those times when you're having a lack of inspiration and need ideas for what to post!
  8. Image copyright is something really important to respect
  9. The top commenters widget I'm using appears to be buggy :)

I'm sure there's heaps more I could add, but I can't think of it right now. And yes, that is meant to be a lightbulb. :)
Posted by at 11:39
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13 comments:

  1. Helena21 May 2013 at 12:02

    I try to keep up on techie changes for my own blog, but I've kinda given up. Maybe because I'm on a computer most of the day on my job, I just can't bring myself to work on my computer in my spare time. At least I like writing my blog, which I hope counts for something -- always the writing matters.

    But thanks for these blog tech tips. It looks like a couple of them could really help me out.

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  2. Sharon Himsl21 May 2013 at 13:58

    I have found #7 to be very true. Had no idea how effective the A-Z challenge would be in meeting other bloggers. And it would appear that not all widgets are equal.

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  3. L.G. Keltner21 May 2013 at 14:40

    These are all great tips, and I wish I'd known them when I fist started blogging. Oh well! We learn through experience.

    And #6 is definitely true for me!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hilary Melton-Butcher21 May 2013 at 16:10

    Hi Trisha .. the learning curve can be pretty steep at the beginning can't it - you've certainly listed the main points here ... I have to get to grips with G+ and all the other aspects of the new blogger ...

    As you say - the main thing is meeting new friends, following and commenting regularly and being polite .. and blog posting as and when ... good to meet you during the A-Z this year ..

    Cheers and good luck with the music, travelling and art history .. Hilary

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  5. The Armchair Squid21 May 2013 at 22:37

    Nice list. Blogging is a fascinating adventure. For myself, I never anticipated that other bloggers would play such a central role in the experience. I don't think I initially gave much thought to who would be reading my posts. I've found that if anything, I write better if I know thoughtful people will be reading.

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  6. Hart Johnson22 May 2013 at 00:58

    Man, there really IS no accounting for which blogs get tons of hits... and the strange search terms... I feel like consistency is the biggest thing... not only in blogging, but also in commenting. When I've had to cut back, I really see the effect.

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  7. Christine Rains22 May 2013 at 03:33

    Great list! I always follow back, but there's been a few times I forgot or can't find a link. And my most popular posts of all time are the most mundane ones. I don't get it!

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  8. Michelle Wallace22 May 2013 at 04:18

    Great tips!
    I'm on Google+ but not too sure how to use it to maximum benefit. I'm also on Linkedin but not sure about that either...
    The blogfests/hops are the best places to network and meet other bloggers!

    Writer In Transit

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  9. DL Hammons22 May 2013 at 06:02

    Number 6 is still a mystery to me. Great list! :)

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  10. Liz A.22 May 2013 at 07:37

    #4? I did not know that. Must go and check...

    Top commenters widget? Must look into that one as well.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy22 May 2013 at 19:14

    #6 is amusing and so true!

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  12. Suze23 May 2013 at 22:08

    Captcha is truly awful! I wish they'd uninvent it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Danette26 May 2013 at 08:36

    Is that true that some people do need CAPTCHA or do they get the same spam anyway? One of my friends says she "Already gets too much spam" and that's why she won't turn hers off so I am not sure if she's ever tried... I hate it though and I have to really want to comment in order to do the CAPTCHA thing. I have quit visiting some blogs because it's just too time consuming. Sad but true...

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for your words, me hearties! and don't forget to leave a link to your blog somewhere I can find it!

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