Whether you’re working on your blog full time or whether you work on it as an aside to your regular 9-5, it’s still important to treat it like a job. If you want to earn money from your blog it them means that your blog is your business – and, it’s important that you treat it as such.

When To Think of Your Blog As A Business

When many bloggers are looking to build a blog, it’s often not until they see money coming in that they start to treat it as a proper business. However, it’s important that, even before you begin to make an income from your blog, you see it as a business model and come up with a proper business strategy to go with it.

Why You Should Think of Your Blog As A Business

If you set out your intentions to build your blog like a business, you’re much more likely to take it seriously and ensure that you keep up the maintenance of it than if you don’t. For example, if you lay out some goals in terms of a business strategy, you’ll have a much better idea of where it is you want to take your blog (your business) in the future. That may be in terms of affiliate marketing, paid advertising, selling your own info products or offering services. If you know exactly where your income is going to come from in the future, you can learn to build your business towards that.

How to Think of Your Blog As A Business

So how does this idea of seeing your blog as a business relate to learning how to be a more productive blogger?

Well, that comes in two ways:

• First, you’ll come to see that, when you’ve laid out your intentions in terms of a business model and where you hope to get your income from in the future, it gives you something more tangible and achievable to aim for and so you can set your sights on the goal more easily and be inspired to keep building momentum towards it.
• Second, it’s also the case that seeing your blog like a business will mean that your mindset has now changed and you begin to actually tackle your blog in a much different way.

To expand on that last point, let’s take a look at the ways in which a real job or a physical business contrasts that of an online business that you’re building such as a blog. A real job where you are an employee and you have to work for a boss doing daily tasks, is one where you instantly given what you need to do and you better hope that you get it done if you want to keep your job.When you own your own physical business with premises, you’re also going to have a great deal of responsibility on your shoulders in terms of ensuring that everything is running smoothly, your staff are efficient and that the customer is happy.

Now, switch to the business model that is a blog and see the stark difference: You no longer have a boss telling you what to do, you don’t have a physical premises and the responsibility for others, and you don’t even have to worry about customer support in the same way. You’re a writer and you’re a presenter and it’s your job to share information in a way that is interesting to people so that they keep coming back for more.

So, when we’re talking about being a productive blogger, it’s about seeing your blog as more than just your outlet – it’s about seeing it as a business and, if you’re not yet making money, seeing its true potential as a business.

Thinking of Your Blog As A Business Makes You More Productive

There are two main reasons why, in order to be a productive blogger, you need see the business potential in your blog.

Firstly, if you’re thinking about your blog as a being a way to make an income, it’s important that you can gear your efforts towards those types of posts and activities that are going to be profitable for you. That’s not just to say that you should always be looking to make money from your blog and nothing else, but the methods that you need to incorporate in order to make money (getting traffic, making interesting and useful posts, building up an audience and readership that trust your products and your recommendations) are all of the things that are going to create a blog that is popular and financially successful anyway.

You see, when running a business it’s all about efficiency and, as any business owner or productive blogger will tell you, it’s important to ensure that you’re efficient in the amount of time that you spend on an activity (whether that’s a blog post or promotional task) that gives you the best return on your investment – whether that investment is money or time. If you’re spending the majority of your time on those tasks that are going to give you and your readers the most value and reward, then you can ensure that you’re being productive in the sense that you have a greater leverage for each task that you complete.

The second reason why it’s important to see your blog as a business in order to be productive is because, when you see your blog as a business, you begin to hold yourself more accountable. When you’re working from home and writing with a laptop on your lap and being in a somewhat more relaxed position to what you would be in if you were in a typical work environment, it means that you run the risk of being a little more complacent with your efforts.

If you really want to be a productive blogger then it’s important that you hold yourself accountable in terms of getting those posts written and promoting your blog. When you have a boss giving your orders in a regular job, you are more likely to follow them than if it’s a goal that you’ve set yourself in your notes.

Being accountable and ensuring that you keep up with the momentum that you set yourself is one of the secrets of a successful blogger – it can’t be that you don’t heed your own orders, it’s important that you ensure you stick to what you set out for yourself to do. Just because your task is a little note that you’ve written on a legal pad as opposed to a signed contract, it doesn’t mean that it should hold any less weight.

A productive blogger that knows the importance of seeing the blog as a business know this, capitalizes on this and uses it to help stay focused and inspired.

Is Your Blog A Business?

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Looking for ways to amplify your social media presence?  Try these tips:

1. Remember, a good social media campaign takes time and effort. Don’t spread yourself too thin.
2. When blogging for profit, you should have a clear goal and expected results from your social media campaign. What are yours?
3. One way to improve your social media presence is by analyzing your competition. What’s working for them and how can you make it work for you?
4. What’s your approach to social media? Do you share information, connect people or give away great stuff? What makes you unique?
5. If you’re using social media for profitable blogging, aim for a consistent presence and message so your followers know what to expect.
6. Controversy and humor are great conversation starters on social media. How do you get the discussion going?
7. Spending too much time on social media when you should be working on your computer? Install an app on your cell phone and limit your participation to your “off” time.
8. Multimedia content is one way to get noticed on social media. Take advantage of this with video, photos, graphics and more.
9. Use an appropriate photo on your social media accounts. If you want to convey yourself as a professional, use a professional photo. If you’re a goofball, use a goofy photo.
10. Put your social media buttons on all your website pages, so your visitors can follow you whether they’re reading a sales page, your About Us page or any other page.
11. Include social media sharing and follow buttons in all the emails you send to your list.
12. Add links to find you on social media in your signature lines. Whether you’re writing an email to a colleague or posting on a forum, include it.
13. Social media is social…so, well, get social!
14. In social media there are good manners, but no rules. Define for yourself how you participate.
15. Managing multiple social media accounts across multiple social media sites? Consider using a social media integration tool like hootsuite.com.
16. Remember potential employers often check social media before hiring. How’s your online reputation?
17. Listening on social media is almost as valuable as participating. Pay attention to what’s going on around you.
18. If you’re using social media for business or career, make sure you have complete profiles and link to your website for more info.
19. As a consumer, it’s tempting to think of social media as a customer service center. Contact the company directly for best service.
20. Give on social media without expecting anything in return. Chances are you’ll get more back than you ever expected.
21. Track the links you share on social media, so you know what your audience is most interested in.
22. While tools like klout.com attempt to measure your influence on social media, only you know if you’re getting the results you expected.
23. Consider pros and cons of cross-posting your updates among social networks. Many of your followers will follow in more than one place.
24. When sharing photos…sometimes the photo is enough. Powerful pictures evoke strong emotions, so let your followers figure it out.
25. Expand your social media engagement by inviting your subscribers to follow you. People who already like you are more likely to get the conversation going.
26. While you don’t have to be on social media 24/7, make sure you respond to questions and comments as quickly as you can.
27. Be your real self on social media. You are unique and that’s what attracts people to you.
28. Social media contacts come and go. Don’t take it personally when someone decides to go.
29. Ditch the self-entitlement mentality on social media. You can’t expect replies to all your comments, particularly when someone has many comments to wade through.
30. Be a social media star. Connect people with good information, smiles and other great people.
31. Shortening your words and using numbers instead of words might be okay for the teen crowd, but not if you’re trying to convey a professional message on social media.
32. Things to avoid in your social media updates: excessive capitalization, exclamation points and other unnecessary punctuation.
33. Respect hierarchies as they are in real life. When trying to make business connections, reach the person you should be talking to.
34. If you don’t want your employer or family to see an update, don’t post it.
35. Create landing pages on your website to welcome visitors from specific social sites.
36. Don’t get stuck living in social media. Take those relationships offline, too.
37. Have no fear; the sky will not fall if you don’t check into your social media accounts for a day or two. Give yourself a break when you need it.
38. Put limits on your social media time. It’s easy to get lost in cute kitty pictures and funny videos.
39. If you use social media for business and pleasure, divide your time so you stay on track with your business goals.
40. According to a Nielsen report, more than 70% of active social network users shop online.
41. Thank people on social media and tell them you appreciate them. You know, act like you would in the “real” world.
42. While connecting with those with influence on social media can bolster your reputation, don’t make it your only goal or you’ll be missing the entire point.
43. Experiment with different social media applications for your phone until you find the right one. They’re not all created the same.
44. While it may feel like it sometimes, social media is not a popularity contest. Be good to your audience and you’ll do just fine.
45. If your social media data is important to you, back it up regularly. Never assume it will always be there.
46. Despite what purists may say, you don’t have to create all your own content. It’s okay to hire help when you need it.
47. If a social media tool isn’t working for you, drop it.
48. When you see a list of “The Top 50 Social Media Tools” it doesn’t mean you have to use them all.

What did I Miss?

Share your thoughts on the tips above and any that I missed in the comments below!Popular Posts:

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A productive blogger rarely stops thinking about their blog – at least in some capacity. If you want to become a productive blogger, you really need to start living and breathing your blog. Your blog can’t just be something that you update and write posts for, your blog is your business and needs to take up a large portion of your time and your thoughts.

That doesn’t mean that you have to sit at your desk all day when you’re not writing a blog post and make lots of notes about a subject – it actually means that you simply need to be more aware of the fact that you are a blogger and aware of the fact that every little moment of your life (however small it seems) can actually help you with your blog.

Where to Find Blogging Ideas

You may be wondering how thinking about your blog often will help you to be a more productive blogger. Well, the answer is actually quite simple. When you get yourself into that blogging mindset where you actually start relating those everyday ideas to how you could create a blog post about it, you’re not only going to get some amazingly unique and fresh blog content ideas, but you’re also going to get be able to come up with ideas on tap.

All around you is a whole world that relates to your blog in so many ways. It’s not always the case that you have to keep your business and home life separate and it’s certainly not the case that you can’t use events in your home and everyday life to inspire decisions that you make in your business.

A productive blogger is always wearing their blogging hat, even when they’re not actually at the keyboard writing. Throughout your day, even when you’re not entirely focusing on or thinking about your business, you’re actually going to come across many events and ideas that you can use in your business.  A productive blogger is one that’s constantly tuned in and looking for the many ways that they can use their life experience in their blog posts.

So, for example, let’s say that you’re blogging about diet and fitness – your weekend trip to the store is now going to be much more than a necessity; you can now look at what latest products are being promoted the most, which types of food appear to be selling the most, whether healthy food is as good value for money as the unhealthy food.

Keep Your Blogging Hat On

A productive blogger is one that can turn their everyday life into something to blog about. No matter what your blog is about, you’re sure to find something that you can take from your day-to-day life and use it to give inspiration for a blog post or topic.

If you’re serious about being a productive blogger, you really need to get yourself into the frame of mind where you’re not just looking at your blog as a separate entity to your life – you need to see it as being part of your life and you need to integrate it as much as possible if you really want to come up with interesting content that’s unique in perspective. A blogger that’s looking to increase productivity is one that is always looking for ideas, always storing valuable information and always looking for links, analogies and patterns that they can somehow include within their blog.

Life throws you so much information and so many ideas – you want to be a productive blogger that is in the position where you can accept that information that is being given instead of always having to go looking for it; you cut your research and note making down to almost nothing. In order to become a productive blogger you really need to tune yourself into the awareness of what’s going on around you because; often, the best ideas come from out of nowhere.

As a blogger you’re a website creator, a writer, a producer and an editor – it’s important when you’re not in your writing mode, you’re thinking about the other roles that comes with being a blogger; and one of those is to really get out there and be on the lookout for ideas – not just when you’re at the computer, but when you’re away from it as well.

Where Do You Find Your Blogging Inspiration?

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Reviewing a product (whether that’s a physical or digital product) is great for your readers and it’s also great for your blogging productivity. When you can’t think of anything to write about, you can almost always think of something to review. Every day, you’re using many different types of products – whether it’s the type of computer you’re using, a tool or software, a course that you took, a book that you read or even the companies that you use to enhance and support your business.

Even when you have no idea what you’re going to write about and you don’t have the time or the momentum to go out there and research something, you always have an opinion about something that you use. And guess what?  Your readers want to know your opinion.

Why Reviews Are Easy to Write

The fact that opinions, thoughts and personal likes and dislikes lend themselves well to reviews is great for someone that’s trying to increase their productivity as a blogger. The research is done because you’re offering an opinion and you also then have content that is truly valuable to your audience and readers.

The fact that you’re already locked and loaded with personal experiences mean that all you have to do is pour them down into your word processor. You don’t have to worry about researching statistics and facts – you simply have to offer your opinion (something that you carry with you everywhere).

There is power in reviews and personal opinions – they offer great content, they are quick to write in a short space of time and they can also earn your affiliate commissions if you recommend the product through an affiliate link. This neat little package of fast, entertaining, useful and financially rewarding type of content (the review) is a favorite of a lot of bloggers because the format gives you everything that you need for a blog post: value to your reader and money in your pocket.

So, whether you can’t come up with anything to write about, you could do with a little more cash or you want to treat your readers to your own personal opinion about a product or service, write a review in order to get maximum leverage from the time spent writing.

But, remember, be sure you give honest opinions of the products you review – don’t just try to sell a product that won’t actually help or benefit your reader.  Be sure, too, to ask for questions at the end of your review – your readers might want even more input on the product than your post provides and can ask their questions in your comments.

Have you ever written a review?

Tell us about it in the comments!Popular Posts:

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Often, when we think about productivity in blogging, we’re often talking about creating lots of written content on a regular basis. However, being a productive blogger doesn’t always have to be about writing as much content as you can. No, in fact, many successful bloggers don’t sit at their desk all day writing – it’s as much about the promotion of the content as the content itself.

Not Writing Does Not Equal Wasted Time

On those days where you don’t write or upload any content, those days aren’t days that have to be wasted. When you don’t write or a submit a post, it doesn’t mean that since you don’t have time or the willpower to complete those tasks that you should just not bother. There are several different things that you can do to still be a successful blogger without having to spend your day writing.

Video

Let’s say that you were going to write a post and you didn’t get time to actually write it. It’s so easy to just forget about it and wait until the next time that you were going to upload something and upload it at a later date. However, that would set you back on your schedule and it’s actually not worth it.

If you’re looking to still get your idea out there, you can just as quickly flick on your WebCam and record a quick five minute video talking about the topic that you were going to write about. Video is an excellent idea because many people love to sit and watch videos. They love to be able to sit back and watch their favorite blogger speak to them directly instead of having to read the content. It means that they can see the person behind the blog, interact with you and also get the information that you’re giving them in a different format to what they’re used to.

By uploading a video and posting it on your blog, you not only have a new informative post that took you five minutes to create and upload, your readers get to see you in a different way and you give them a new form of hearing your message, but your video can also sit on YouTube where you can pull in more traffic than you otherwise would have because people are now going to be finding you through YouTube.

Social Media

Another element of being a productive blogger is to ensure that you’re promoting yourself. A productive blogger doesn’t just spend their time writing blog posts, they also go ahead and spend time promoting themselves. There’s no point writing content that no one’s going to see – it would be like performing to an empty crowd.

There are many ways to help you build an audience and get traffic to your blog, but one that utilizes the idea that you can get traffic to your blog while also building your brand is to use social media. Social media is one of the best ways to get yourself out there, to show people who you are and to tell them that they should take notice.

While writing and publishing posts is a necessary part of being a blogger, a productive blogger also takes the time to get out there and promote the content that they have written in order to get a greater leverage from it. Writing content is one thing, and promoting it is another.

If you are striving to be a productive blogger, you’ll have to learn the art of promoting your own content because you’ll come to realize that the productivity isn’t in the continuous writing of content, it’s in the way that you can make the most from the content that you’ve already written – and that’s to promote it.

Promoting your content isn’t just about letting people know when you’ve created a new piece of content; it’s about promoting your content that’s both old and new. Social media is a fantastic way to really get people to read that review of the product that you wrote, or a way to get people to share that post that you want to go viral.

Being productive is never about working yourself to overload, it’s about making the most progress with the least effort and social media is the way forward.

So how should you promote your content and build your brand as part of becoming a productive blogger?

Well, first you need to make sure that you talk about your content. As soon as you’ve got a new post out there, make sure that you tweet it on Twitter (using hash tags related to your post, eg. #Diabetes or #Movies), give it a +1 and share it on G+, share it on Facebook and also submit it to social bookmarking websites like StumbleUpon.

Of course, it’s always best if you spend time to build up a following on each of these social media platforms – and that’s something that takes time but is very important.

Another great tip is to sign up in forums that are related to your blog topic. Don’t simply spam the forum with your site details – you can just add a signature link and begin posting helpful comments on the forum. You’re likely to build a name for yourself on the forum if you continually post and help people.

When you want to ensure that you’re being as much of a productive blogger as you can, every little form of promotion can make all the difference because, each time you get your content out there as far as you can get it to go, the greater the chance that you can build up a large audience when it gets shared further.

Remember, being a productive blogger is not just about producing lots of content and producing it fast, it’s also ensuring that people see the content you’re creating. Those masters of productive blogging spend as much time, if not more time, getting their content in front of an audience than they do actually writing it.

What Do You Spend More Time Doing?

Writing content?  Or promoting it?  Share in the comments below!Popular Posts:

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When used correctly, Twitter can not only be a great way to interact with your readers, it can also bring in a lot of traffic to your blog.

1. If you want to build a reputation on Twitter, use your real name or your company name. 
2. If you eventually plan to sell your business, use separate personal and business Twitter accounts, so you can pass the business account to the new owner.
3. Did you know that if you choose to add a location to all your tweets, but change your mind later, you can change this in your settings?
4. If you’re on Twitter to make business connections, avoid using a Protected account.
5. Want to change your Twitter username? There’s no need to delete your account, just change it in your settings.
6. Getting updates to your phone from your favorite tweeters is easy. Just go to the users profile and click on the little mobile icon.
7. Don’t want to see all that extra activity in your replies tab? Just click the box at the top that says “Show Replies Only”.
8. Do you have any saved searches on Twitter? They’re great for staying on top of discussions and topics.
9. Use Twitter search to monitor discussions about you and your blog.
10. Do use Twitter search to help answer people’s questions related to your niche, but avoid simply plugging your products in the process.
11. Lists are a great way to organize your Twitter timeline and to show quality Tweeters you appreciate them.
12. Don’t have time to create a Twitter list? You can follow the public lists of other Twitter users.
13. Keep your tweets well under 140 characters, so you can easily be retweeted.
14. Did you know if you auto-follow those who follow you, you’re probably following a lot of spam accounts?
15. Add value to Follow Friday (#ff). Pick a great tweeter and tell your followers why you follow them.
16. Get more followers on Twitter. Make sure you’ve got a Twitter badge on your website.
17. Follow people you’re interested in. Don’t feel bullied to follow people just because they follow you.
18. You can remove someone’s retweets from your timeline. Just click on the retweet icon at the top of their profile.
19. Is someone spamming you with the @ function? Go to their profile to block and report them.
20. According to Crowdspring, 64% of Twitter users are more likely to buy from companies they are following.
21. Tweet by text: Add your mobile number to your account. Then send a text to the number indicated in your settings under “Mobile”.
22. If you’re looking for stats on your Twitter activity, http://twittercounter.com might help. You can see other people’s stats too.
23. Twitter’s Embedded Tweets allows you to insert HTML to add fully-actionable tweets on any web page.
24. Send someone a deserved compliment via @ message today. It’ll make them and you feel good.
25. Looking to engage your Twitter followers? Ask them a question.
26. Join conversations with Twitter users outside your following list by using hashtags on popular topics.
27. Protect your Twitter account from hacking. Use a strong password and be careful with 3^rd party apps you give access to.
28. Use tools like paper.li to curate content to share with your audience.
29. Looking for the latest Twitter news and updates?http://blog.twitter.com and http://status.twitter.com are two of your best bets.
30. If you’re looking to schedule a meet-up with your Twitter friends try http://tweetup.org 
31. Quotes can make great tweets, but remember that your followers want to hear from you too.
32. If you’re using Twitter for business, study the tweeting habits of some of your competition that are rockin’ it with Twitter.
33. You can follow, retweet and follow via text message. You can find the Twitter commands to use under “Settings” -> “Mobile”.
34. If you see photos you don’t recognize under “Recent Images” in Twitter, they’re probably images you commented on or retweeted.
35. You can follow trends on a worldwide, country, state or city level. Just click the “Change” link at the top of the Trends section.

What Are Your Twitter Tips and Tricks?

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Knowing who is coming to your blog – and from where – read which posts can be valuable information as you plan your future blogging focus.  One of the best tools available for tracking your blog stats is Google Analytics.

How To Set Up Google Analytics

Start by going to http://www.google.com/analytics/.

Click on “Access Analytics”.

You’ll see this screen:

If you already have a Google account (for any Google service, including Gmail or Adsense), just log in. If you don’t have a Google account then click on “Create an Account now”. You’ll need to sign up for one before you continue.

Once you’ve gone through the log in or sign-up process then you’ll be asked to create a new profile. The screen will look like this:

Since you’re just starting out you’ll want to choose ‘Add a Profile for a new domain’. Then you’ll enter in the website URL you want to track through Google Analytics, the country and time zone. Click Finish to get your tracking code.

The Tracking CodeThe code you get on the next page needs to be put on every page of your website. Where you place this code is going to vary greatly depending on how your website was designed.

If your Website is NOT a WordPress blog…

Google Analytics gives you clear directions that the code needs to be placed immediately before the closing </head> tag.

If this doesn’t make sense to you then you’ll probably want to get some support for this part of the setup. Depending on how and where your website is set up you may be able to ask your website designer, website host, website builder customer support or other sources for help to find the location where you need to place the tracking code.

If you’re a do-it-yourself type, you need to find your source HTML site files. You will then place this tracking code on every page of your site. In some cases, you’ll only have to add it in one spot and it will automatically propagate through your entire site (yet another reason I recommend you have a WordPress blog).

If your Website IS a WordPress blog…

Many WordPress themes are set up for you to simply add the tracking code to the site/theme setup.

You can also get a number of WordPress plugins that allow you to just pop the tracking code in an easy to find section so that it can be added throughout the site.) In fact, I did a quick search for plugins in WordPress today and found several that are rated highly.

See image below.

Check that you Installed it Correctly.

Before you install your code you’ll see this message in your Analytics account:

Check back after you’ve installed the tracking code. If everything is set up properly that message will change to this message:

Once Google starts receiving data, it will start collecting the data that is going to help you make future decisions on the marketing and messages you set forth in your business. Exciting stuff, right?!

What Stats Do You Want To Know About For Your Blog?

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One of the common pitfalls that many bloggers make is to not stick to a manageable schedule.  Did you catch that key word – manageable.

Many people make pseudo plans to write a blog post on one day and then put it back to another day because they didn’t feel like it or they were doing something else. One of the best ways to deal with that lack of focus and direction is to just lay out a blogging schedule so that you can always stay on track.

The Importance of A Blogging Schedule

Often, when working online, one of the biggest problems is giving yourself a sense of direction and giving yourself boundaries. In many employed jobs, you’d have a boss to give you some sort of infrastructure, tasks and guidelines for you to follow. When you are your own boss, it becomes your job to give yourself some structure in your work day and a great way of doing that is to set a rigid schedule.

It’s Not As Hard As You Think

Setting a schedule isn’t as daunting as you may think. Many people look at schedules in a negative way and hate to give themselves deadlines to get things done. However, in reality, it’s important to set goals and intentions so that we can follow them and give a sense of direction and purpose to what we’re doing.

When blogging, it’s so easy to call yourself a blogger because you write a blog – however, in any major publishing company or major online website (those that are making lots of money, anyway) they tend to have a regular structure that they stick to because it helps you to keep writers focused and also keeps the momentum of the blogs going. Often, many people give up on a blog after a month or two so it’s incredibly important to know what it is you’re hoping to achieve and when you’re going to achieve it.

Don’t Make This Mistake

A common mistake that people make when coming up with a schedule is to be too general. It’s easy to say, “I’m going to write a blog post every day” – but in reality, you know that’s not going to happen. A great remedy for that is to get specific about what you’re exactly going to do.

For example, instead of saying that you’re going to blog everyday (something that not everyone’s going to be able to keep up with) it’s important to say exactly what you’re going to do. You need so get specific and say things such as,

• “On Monday I’m going to research a blog post on Topic 1”,
• “On Tuesday, I’m going to write the blog post on Topic1”,
• “On Wednesday, I’m going to publish the draft on Topic 1 and research Topic 2”.

It’s always a good idea to state the actual topic that you’re going to be writing about and how you’re going to do it because then you give it more credibility and it helps to make it look like something that’s achievable. It’s much better than just saying you’re going to blog every day.

This helps to, not only create a sense of expectancy and excitement for your readers, but it also helps you to get some ideas of what you’re going to do next. It’s always great to follow a regular structure that works well for you because then, like a normal work life, you can come to fall into a regular pattern of expectation and delivery that your readers will appreciate also.

Do What Works For You

Don’t try to set your schedule based on what someone else is doing.  Determine the time that you have to put into your blog and then plan your schedule using the time that you have.  If you know that you can post two times a week but every day seems too daunting, start with the two days.  You can always add another day of posting as you see how your schedule works out.

What’s Your Blog Schedule Look Like?

Share your thoughts in the comments below!Popular Posts:

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• Guest Post: 6 Things I Learned From Participating in Blogelina’s 100 Comments Event

This is a guest post by Mrs. Accountability.

When I signed up for Blogelina’s 100 Comments on my Blog event, I thought how fun and exciting to have 100 comments on one of my blog posts! I’ve been blogging four years and have only experienced that when holding a giveaway. I jumped on board and signed up to get some commenting love.

After I’d committed myself, I admit I started to panic just a little. Since I work full time with a two hour commute that left me with only Saturday and Sunday to leave all my comments. Tanya shared some pointers in leaving comments and encouraged us to leave meaningful as opposed to “spammy” comments and attempt to add to the conversation, or ask a question. Here is what I learned as I left comments at 135 blogs.

Write a Great Post If You Want Good Comments

I didn’t want to start at the top of the list or the bottom, so I copied the list of blogs and pasted them into Excel. I grabbed a randomly ordered list of numbers from random.org and sorted my list and started reading. As I made my way through the blogs, it occurred to me how necessary it is to write a great post if you want good comments.

I found the “List of 10″ type posts to be the easiest to comment on. Choose an interesting topic, and try to avoid shocking your visitors which can make it difficult for a person to know how to respond or what to say. Not every post can be epic, but we should strive to write great posts as often as possible.

Blogging tip: If your readers add many new items to your “List of 10″ consider making a whole new blog post. For example, your blog post is 10 Things We Love at the Zoo and your readers added 29 things they love, now write a blog post called 29 More Things We Love at the Zoo .

Give Your Readers An Assignment

Ask questions at the end of your post – I’ve seen the recommendation to do this over the years, and incorporate it into my blog posts. However, in working my way through the blogs I realized how essential it is, and how much easier it was when the blogger 1) outlined questions at the beginning of the post, and then 2) reiterated the questions at the end. This gave me direction, something to think about as I read the post, and specific questions to answer at the end. This made it much easier to leave a meaningful comment.

Make It Easy for Your Readers to Leave Comments

Consider the ease of commenting for your readers. If they have to jump through hoops by verifying that they are human, guessing CAPTCHA letters or signing up for the various comment clients, it can be a deterrent to leaving a comment. If you’re with Blogger, give the option to leave name and blog address.

I know spam is the bane of a blogger’s existence but there are ways to handle it so it doesn’t make it harder for our readers to interact with us. One easy way to avoid spam is to set your blog so the first time a person comments you must approve the comment manually. Then make every attempt to approve comments in a timely manner, and check your spam filter if you have one. In participating in this event I realized my comment form resides at the end of my comments. I plan to change that so my readers can leave a comment right after my post, instead of having to scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Blogging tip: If the comment sounds “spammy” don’t approve it. You don’t want the spammer to have an “in” to posting at will on your blog.

Select a Reader Friendly Font

As you are reading your blog, imagine you are one of your readers. Custom fonts are pretty as headers or even for paragraph headers, but cursive or handwritten fonts can be hard on the eye, especially when the post is lengthy. Remember we want to make our blogs reader friendly and keep our visitors coming back.

Respond to your Comments

When a reader leaves a comment at your blog, reply to the comment. Set your blog up so that your readers can subscribe to comments, and one extra way to connect with your readers is to also send an email of your reply to their comment. This personal touch is the extra mile in blogging communication. If you are on WordPress, I want to share the plugin I use which allows me to reply to a comment on my blog, and at the same time send an email to my commenter: WordPress Thread Comment. I have not yet responded to all the comments left at my blog, but plan to do so. If you left a comment at my blog, expect to see a reply to your comment via email from me.

Sign Up for an Avatar

About half of my new visitors from this event arrived without an avatar. Most bloggers using WordPress allow an avatar. If you don’t have your own, you get saddled with the “shadow man”. Sign up at Gravatar.com and you will be globally recognized whenever you use your email address to comment at many blogs. This also makes it easier for WordPress bloggers to find you within our spam catchers. If you are just another “shadow man” it is hard for you to stand out amongst the spammers that legitimately belong in spam jail.

Blogging tip: Your avatar is an important way to brand your blog, so take care in what you choose. It could be a picture of your face, the name of your blog or something that symbolizes your blog. Be sure to use your blog colors!

Even as a seasoned blogger I learned a lot by participating in this event. My thanks to Tanya for hosting, and providing the opportunity to visit 135 blogs and meet some awesome bloggers whom I may not have had the chance to meet otherwise.

Mrs. Accountability blogs at Out of Debt Again chronicling her family’s experience getting out of debt for the second time.  Read how Mrs. Accountability got out of debt the first time, her money story through the years and please stop by and leave a comment on her epic post 10 Things We Hate Spending Our Hard Earned Money On.

Interested in Participating In Future Comment Events?

Leave a comment below, letting us know – then be sure to subscribe to Blogelina updates so we can get in touch with you when the time comes!Popular Posts:

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If you’re looking for a fun way to increase your blog traffic, be sure to check out this year’s Ultimate Blog Party over at 5MinutesForMom.com!  I’m joining up and hope to see you there, too!

If you’re visiting this post from the party, welcome to Blogelina – we’re glad you’re here!

How We Can Help Your Blog

Here at Blogelina, we are all about helping you grow your blog – here are just a few of the resources we have to offer:

• FREE Weekly Blogging Tips - Get our e-newsletter to keep up with all the great tips, interviews, and fun events we have going on here at Blogelina!

• Blogging Buddy Network - become a part of your very own group of bloggers!  Get the support and encouragement you need – consider your small group of bloggers your very own cheer-leading team!

• Online Blogging Classes - Want to make your blog more profitable?  Join our online class to learn how (everyone who comments on this post gets a free seat in our next class session plus the great bonuses that come with the class!).

• Blogger-to-Wordpress Transfers - Our transfer package is one of the most affordable out there – it even includes a year of Deluxe Web Hosting for your blog!  We’ve transferred 80+ blogs – find out more details here.  (Not sure why it’s important to move to WordPress?  Read this.)

Read These Posts to Make Your Blog a Success!

Here are some of our most popular blog posts from the past year:

• How To Gross Over $30,000 In Your First Year Of Blogging – Or, At Least, How We Did It Here At Blogelina

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• Even More of Our Most Popular Posts & Features – Take a tour of all Blogelina has to offer!

Random Facts About Tanya

• I’m a SAHM mom to soon-to-be 3 kiddos.
• I love blogging and have been so blessed as it’s become profitable – I’ve always known I wanted to stay home with my kiddos and blogging has really helped to make that a reality!
• I started Blogelina as a way to reach out and help other moms who want to earn an income from home.
• I’m a HUGE coffee and chocolate fan!

Leave a Comment Below to WIN!

To keep up with the party spirit of this event, we’d love to give a free seat in our next Profitable Blogging Class session to everyone who leaves a comment below!  Learn how to take your blog to the next level – plus get a free year of web hosting to help get you started!  If you haven’t already signed up for this free offer, just post your comment and then follow the instructions on the page that follows.Popular Posts:

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