Blogging Tips

If anyone has any tips on how to be a better blogger, please post them here.

My first suggestiong is that you put a widget or link prominately displayed on your blog for people to subscribe easily. I love Google Friend Connect and just started feedburner.

Also, you can discover your number of RSS readers through Google by going to Google Reader and clicking on the ADD A SUBSCRIPTION link on the top left side and type in your blog address. It should bring up a number of reader RSS subscribers.

For more information on RSS: check out this article HERE

Check out these bloggers who have kindly put together their views on blogging:

Parajunkee's Book Blogging 101 HERE

The Story Siren Blogging Tips, including Ask a Publisher HERE

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Becky M on April 14, 2011 at 12:28pm

Where do you find 'subscribe by RSS" and what does that mean? Is there anyway to see who has visited your blog... or to block particular people from seeing your blog? Just curious.

BloggerPermalink Reply by Mary (BookHounds) on April 14, 2011 at 12:33pm

Becky

Here is a great article on RSS, it is now a little bit out of date because of Google's recent buyout of Blogger.

http://www.whatisrss.com/

The only way to see who is visiting your blog is by installing a tracker widget, which is really easy. Well, if you use blogger it is. I am not really familiar with wordpress, but I know they are allowing a lot of the same widgets.

Permalink Reply by Becky M on April 14, 2011 at 12:48pm

I'm really trying to see how I can block one person from seeing my blog, can I change the address without losing followers and content? I see under publishing, it looks like I can change it but I'm not real savvy on what this might do to my current blog.

BloggerPermalink Reply by Mary (BookHounds) on April 14, 2011 at 1:12pm

Becky

I did a search and this came up:

http://katsbloglove.blogspot.com/2010/04/how-to-block-people-from-y...

There are step by step instructions to block someone.

You can create a new blog and repost everything including the design by backing up your blog and then reinstalling it your new one. I have done this before to test out designs.

Permalink Reply by Becky M on April 14, 2011 at 1:19pm

You are SO helpful!!! (and then I always have another question) how does one back up their blog?

BloggerPermalink Reply by Mary (BookHounds) on April 14, 2011 at 1:27pm

Notice the TOOLS at the very top, you want to EXPORT YOUR BLOG.

Just follow the instructions and this will save all of your posts and comments so if you want to start a whole new blog you can then just IMPORT YOUR BLOG. Pretty much the same instructions and if I can do it, anyone can. I periodically do this in case my blog is ever hacked so I don't lose anything.

You also want to back up your TEMPLATE as well.

Go to your DASHBOARD and click on the DESIGN tab. Go to EDIT HTML and DOWNLOAD FULL TEMPLATE and follow the online instructions.

I usually save it to my desktop and then move it to a folder where I can find it.

Permalink Reply by Becky M on April 14, 2011 at 2:38pm

Thank you Mary... I got the meter and will now bruise my brain learning how to export/backup and recreate... will I lose my followers that have the old url? *see always another question

BloggerPermalink Reply by Mary (BookHounds) on April 14, 2011 at 3:16pm

As far as I know, yes, you will have to notify your old followers. I would try to block the one person you don't want first, rather than move your whole blog just because of one person. They would also just be able to google you to find the new address.

If this person is commenting inappropriately, you can also set your comments to MODERATE and then just delete them. Then maybe the person would get the hint.

BloggerPermalink Reply by Jackie Paulson on July 8, 2011 at 11:58am

Thanks I wondered how to do that.

BloggerPermalink Reply by Mary (BookHounds) on May 6, 2011 at 4:23pm

Oh Hey! Blogger just did a bunch of updates. I noticed yesterday that I couldn't get some posts to correctly date, I really hope that is one of the fixes. Fingers crossed that these updates will be better than worse.

BloggerPermalink Reply by Mary (BookHounds) on May 6, 2011 at 4:27pm

Another note on SPAM: I recently changed my blog to allow only those with a google or open id account to post comments on my blog. I did some research and found I only had one or two people comment anonymously and let them know I was changing to this format. I walked them through getting a google account or using open ID. Open ID uses an established email account to limit spam. I got hit with over 200 spam messages in one day a few weeks ago and since changing, I haven't had any at all.

Permalink Reply by Komal Mansoor on May 28, 2011 at 7:11am