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| Blogging Courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net Photo by Stuart Miles |
I can see that scowl of disbelief forming on your face. But, yes. I DO love sharing information, inspiration, and fun with readers.
Most of all, I like receiving comments. Writing is an isolating job, so when blog readers actually respond with a comment, I feel more connected to the world. Thank you to all who take time to say hi, leave a thought about the content of the blog, or ask a question. I know you have lots of other things to do, so I appreciate the time you spend here on the blog.
Reading blogs is one of my satisfying "hobbies." I don't do it and leave a comment strictly for marketing purposes. I love meeting new folks and keeping in touch with friends. Blogging is the vehicle that allows me to do that.
TIP: By the way, when you do leave a comment on a blog, please leave a way for the blogger to return your visit. Here's the secret formula, well maybe not so secret anymore, for constructing the HTML link to your blog so a blogger can click on the link and be taken right to your site!
You MUST copy this exactly, especially being careful not to add or delete a space in any of it, in order to make a correct link.
<a href=http://yoursite.com>yoursitename</a>
Replace the bold sections with your information.
Then go to your blog and in your own comment section, c/p the link and submit. You will see immediately if you have the link correct because only yoursitename will show up.--no symbols or letters. Good luck! It may take you a few tries.
Updated--Pointers on Writing a Blog by J.Q. Rose
originally published on this blog in October 2015
In my marketing research, my experience, and reading blogs, I've picked up a few pointers I thought I'd share with you. I hope you find them helpful. Please add to the list so we can all learn more.
- When I come across information or have an idea for a blog post, I go immediately to my blog page and click new post. I make a few notes, copy the URL of an article that got my attention, and type in a working title. These ideas already collected in my behind-the-scenes unpublished blog posts give me a bit of peace when I'm struggling to think of a post.
- Choose a day each week that you can commit to posting up your blog. Keep it like you do for a dental appointment or your kid's soccer practice. Your appointment with yourself to write your blog should be on your calendar every week or more often if you wish..
- All the blog gurus encourage us to have a photo of ourselves on the top of the page. The purpose of a blog is to connect with readers, so having a picture helps them to do that. Not an avatar but a real-life photo of you.
- Images help attract and keep readers. Take your own photos or look them up online. WARNING: Please be sure you can legally use the photos on your blog. Sites for finding images are freedigitalphotos.net (my favorite as you can probably tell,} pixabay.com, presentermedia.com, and makerbook.net. Leave a comment to let us know your favorite sites for images.
- Video is coming to the front as a real draw to attract readers and keep them on the site. You can make your own video from your laptop, phone, camera, record it on YouTube, Hangouts, and PowerPoint programs.
- LIVE video is all the rage and it's fun. On FB Live, visitors can leave comments and you can interact with them in real time. Or if they have a question, they can ask and you can return to your video post and answer questions later. You can also post the Facebook video on Youtube to increase viewership and share it on all your social media. Watch my FB Live video below--Writing Tip: Focus on the Holidays
- Make attractive, eye-catching graphics with quotes or poems quickly with Quotes Cover and Quozio. Canva is another choice for making lots of kinds of graphics, but it takes a bit of experimenting and practice to get a decent product.
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| Quote image made using canva.com |
- When offering a link to a page, don't use" click here." Instead, write out the name of the URL link so the reader knows what page they will be jumping to. Be sure to set your blog to allow a new pop-up box for the link the reader is going to instead of leaving your blog completely.
- At the end of your post, ask the reader to subscribe to your page. Direct her to the location on your page so she can easily find and add her email. The Follow by Email should be above the fold so the reader sees it right away.
Jeni Elliott, the Blog Maven, suggests bloggers not include their social media links on their website because clicking on the page will direct the reader away from the blog. What do you think of that idea? You can read more about it and other tips in her FREE guide, Five Things You Can Do to Increase Subscribers. She offers lots of resources for bloggers on her site.
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FB Live Video--Writing Tip: Focus on the Holidays
VIDEO--Writing Tip: Focus on the Holidays by J.Q. Rose
If you have time, click here to watch more of my videos at the J.Q. Rose, Author Facebook
Page including "How NOT to Make a FB Live Video." Warning! I'm just learning and experimenting with this new way of connecting with folks.
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Thanks for spending time at the J.Q. Rose blog. Do you enjoy reading articles like this one with helpful tips and information for writers/bloggers? Do you have some suggestions for topics for this blog?
And just as I schooled you, please enter your email address in the Follow by Email box in the sidebar so you'll be notified of new posts on the J.Q. Rose blog. I promise, NO SPAM. Thank you!
19 comments:
Hi JQ, I love reading blogs as well - especially book review blogs. It's hard to get recommendations for great romance novels anywhere else apart from in the blogosphere. Thanks for your handy tip about the website link! I'm trying it here. Fingers crossed this works!
Helena Fairfax
Congrats, Helena! The link works!!! Glad you can use this handy tool.
Great list of suggestions. I can't tell you how annoyed I get when commenters don't leave contact info! I know sounds absurd, but I like to drop in and say hi. Sigh.
I like images and videos for visual learners/readers. I love reading but still find myself drawn to color and pictures.
Hey, JQ. You are so beyond me in technology. I'll try doing that first suggestion as Helena is doing, but I'm not excited about my possibility of success. You are amazing. Appreciate all the help. And yes, I love reading blogs and I do respond, but it's harder and harder to find time to do that. I post three times a month on Thursday. On the third Thursday, I send out my newsletter. Okay, I'm going back to read your directions. I'll let you know if I get it done. :)
Hoho, I took some of your advice and added a picture to my sidebar where my post are. I have one on landing page midway down already.
I try to use white space, headings and subheadings which is recommended by the gurus to make it easy to read too. Also use images. Use video when it is someone elses lol, sometimes to share something.
Great tips.
I did do the link thing for a long time until I started connecting it to my photo or gravatar so easy to find website from that too. I will still leave a link on new blogs I visit.
Juneta @ Writer's Gambit
Oh I need to set up a regular time to blog but general have 3 or 4 post a month with my Spotlight, guest posts, and blog hops. But I should start putting out something of my own in post too.
I enjoy reading blogs and commenting. It's fun. Always love giving my opinion. As with this blog, they can be informative as well.
Great tips, JQ. I especially like the idea of creating behind-the-scenes draft posts to act as a tickler file. I keep a physical (hard copy) "blogfood" file, but that means a lot of paper shuffling when I go looking for info on a particular topic. I'm going to try your suggestion. I also didn't know the html trick. I tried it but must be doing something wrong because I couldn't get it to create a link.
I have to agree with Marsha -- I enjoy reading and commenting on blogs, but it's hard to find the time to do that.
Thanks, Jacqui. Yes, the blog gurus say viewers will stay longer on your blog if you have images. And much longer if you have videos. We are getting to be an image oriented society. I like the contacts available during the IWSG blog hop, so it's easier to catch people.
Hey, Marsha. You can do it! Leave another comment below and add the code to your blog. You'll know right away if you have it correct when you submit the comment. I'd like to do a newsletter too, but have not taken the time to do so. I enjoy yours.
I like having that link right in the comment box so other commenters can click on it and go to your page too. I clicked on your Google name and when I got to your G+ page, and hit about, your contact info was the first thing there. Good job!!
I love all the "stuff" you have on your blog, but building a relationship with readers is the #1 priority with a blog. Sharing something of your own once in awhile is essential.
Thanks, Susan. Glad you find the blog helpful. Also reading other blogs helps me not feel so isolated.
Thanks, Nan. When saving something behind the scenes, be careful not to publish it when it's not ready!! I've done that, hitting publish instead of save. LOL. I like the "blogfood" file name. Never enough time in the day, is there. Thanks for stopping in.
There is nothing more annoying than wanting to drop by after someone's been kind enough to comment and not being able to find them. Excellent advice.
Anna from elements of emaginette
spinbot.co I found your blog on google and loved reading it greatly. It is a great post indeed. Much obliged to you and good. keep it up..
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