41 blog tips I learned while starting a new blog

When my old blog, Mummified Times Five, crashed, as sad as I was about “my baby of 4 years” being no more, I was excited about starting a brand new blog from scratch again.  With all the things I have learned about blogging over the years, I knew that I would do things differently this time…..

Setting Your Blog Up

• If you’re serious about blogging, don’t start with a free service like Blogspot. Buy your own domain and self-host your blog right from the start.
• read Problogger.net, Blogging Girl and, if you’re a mummy blogger, Profitable Mommy Blogging.
• Use WordPress. When I first started blogging years ago, like most people, I started with Blogspot, but I think WordPress is much more user-friendly.
• Customise your template.
• Use WordPress plugins to make your blog more effective
• use Feedburner
• back up! back up! back up!
• put an RSS subscription icon on every single page
• use Google Analytics
• use meta tags wisely
• learn the basics of SEO
• place ads wisely
• use Technorati
• enable subscription to comments
• make it easy for visitors to contact you

Blogging

• be yourself
• ask your readers questions
• post regularly – at least 3 times a week
• proofread before hitting “publish”
• write “Top 10” lists
• use pictures in your blog posts
• have some spare blog posts drafted for emergencies
• use trackbacks
• use tags
• write “How to” articles
• have an interesting and informative “About” page
• include a picture of yourself on your “About” page
• create an “Advertise here” page
• use pings
• consider writing a “series” of posts to encourage readers to return
• link to other blogs as often as possible
• organise your categories

Networking

• comment on other blogs
• respond to comments and questions left on your blog
• participate in blog carnivals and memes
• put a link to your blog in your email signature and your forum signatures
• list your blog on blog directories
• encourage readers to subscribe to your blog
• get to know other bloggers personally
• submit your articles to directories
• make the most of social bookmarks

Need some further tips? Kelly from Be a Fun Mum shares her 12 Top if-I-could-go-back-and-do-it-again tips.

What are your tips for starting a new blog?

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