Do you have a question about blogging that you’d like to hear me answer?
As a bonus to those who buy the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog workbook I’m going to record a podcast later this week that tackles as many blogging related questions as possible.
The recording will be made available as a thank you/bonus to anyone who has previously bought the workbook or who buys it in future. Get Your Own Copy Here if you’d like to get access.
If you’d like to ask me a question – feel free to either email it via the contact form here at ProBlogger or leave it in comments below. If you use the contact form make your first line of the email include ‘question for 31DBBB podcast’ so I know what it is for. I’ll credit people with their questions unless it specifically says to keep them anonymous.
Questions can be related to 31 Days to Build a Better Blog project, any of the daily tasks in it, or any other blogging related question. I’m not sure how many questions I’ll get but I’ll attempt to answer as many as I can during the recording.
OK, let me first make an order than i’ll ask a question.
Regards
Jenney Mac.
Wow… what a wonderful opportunity!
I would like to ask you… What is the single greatest tip you would offer for bloggers who are trying to go from part-time blogging to becoming a problogger?
There is something that I’m curious about. Now that you’ve reached 5000 posts and manage multiple blogs what was your biggest mistake/misjudgement involving blogging.
We all make mistakes and we should learn from them; maybe we can learn from yours;)
Is there any evidence to suggest that doing different blog post types (review posts, list posts, etc) scheduled on particular days and advertising this fact is better?
ie. Does this create more connection with what readers can expect from you regarding predictability? How does this effect subscription numbers? etc etc
What tool/method do you use to keep notes or jot ideas down for your blog posts? Notebook, smartphone?
What is the right way of creating a Newsletter, can you point to some resources that give a little guidance on creating a newsletter for bloggers please?
I’d like to know what processes (and human resources) you use to manage online communities–especially as they grow. How can a blogger continue to be accessible as a community grows larger and larger? Or is a blog really just a media outlet with little sense of real community.
I guess that’s three questions, but they’re related.
My question relates to privacy policies and disclosures and how and when a blog needs to publish them. My blog is 7 months old, i have less than 100 subscriber and I am just now starting to use affiliate ads (problogger is one of them). Do I need a disclosure statement?
How do I create a privacy policy? Or do I even need one?
(I guess that’s more than one question. But I have a lot to learn.)
I’d love your thoughts on combining a TypePad blog and a WordPress blog. ArtBizBlog is well known and among the highest-ranking art blogs out there. But I want to change it to a WordPress blog and add my newsletter feed (Mondays) to it. They really have the same content and it doesn’t make sense for them to be separate.
If it helps, the newsletter is at http://artbizcoach.com/newsletter
Thank you, Darren.
I just set up a new blog and I have spurts of traffic like 550 yesterday and only 75 today.. whats the secret to sustained day to day traffic? Thank you.
Darren,
31 days is great, I am really enjoying it and learning a lot. I may have missed it, but what are your criteria for affiliates and advertisers? How in-depth are your background checks, and do you continue to screen them as time goes on to ensure they are maintaining the level of service you aspire to?
Thanks!
question for 31DBBB podcast
What is the process if I want to use a post from someone elses blog on my blog. Do I need to get in touch with them and get their permission, or do I just make sure I credit them in a bio box at the end of the post.
I am trying like crazy to get my bounce rate down. It seems that I have a lot of people hit the site, but not go any deeper than a page or two. They are coming in with the good keywords, but it is almost like they don’t know there is more content there.
The emails back that up a bit as well. Sometimes surprised that they had stumbled on to other pages. I am linking pages in posts, but they don’t seem to be getting the job done.
thanks,
–don
What would you differently if you were starting your blog for the first time tomorrow.
Hi Darren,
Great workbook and book. I read both over the weekend
I’ve only been blogging for about 6 or 7 weeks and I love it. But I do run into problems that I haven’t really seen you touch on.
The blog I run is centered around gaming news. I report important stories and write reviews and opinions. What advice do you have for folks like myself? People who are passionate about a niche that may be bloated, very competitive and news driven?
How do you tell someone that the question they are asking for advice with is one you don’t have interest in, aren’t experienced with or is not in scope with the blog without them feeling like you just don’t have time to answer their question? I don’t like letting people down.
In developing my first e-booklet, I’d like to know if there is an appropriate length that people will consider worthy of purchase? Right now I’m looking at 40 pages.
Notice how all the above comments are asking a question…how cheeky!!!
Now Darren, who do you think will win the AFL this year?
Do blogging has it’s own limitations?
Besides commenting other people, putting your blog in directories & such, are there any other good suggestions for increasing blog traffic & getting more comments??
Darren, I thought about a question for your podcast, and here it is:
Should you mix personal posts like it’s my child’s 13th birthday here’s the photos-type with the ‘business/advice/info posts on a single blog? Or should you have a personal blog to do this?
@gerryfahrmann I know nothing about AFL (and really couldn’t care less about it), but how bout the Demons rising up from the bottom and sinking everyone?
However, in the REAL football – not that girly Mexican game- St George is finally going to kick some serious butt this year. After a 30 year drought.
Question for Podcast:
– For my website, my fellow blogger and I write our posts way in advance of when we publish, so we set up a “upcoming articles” widget that shows our visitors what we will be publishing a week ahead of time.
I haven’t seen anything else like this on the internet, is there some negative side effect I haven’t thought about? Is it a good idea? What do you think?
Of course, I love this blog and it has been a tremendous help. Can’t wait for the podcast.
Darren,
I read many advice on blogging. One of them is to use your real
name for your blog. I have seen many successful blog including yours do that.
Me on the other hand is always posting anonymous on my own blog. Do think this is going to cost me a lot of readers?
I was thinking to disclose my identity on the internet but I real don’t want to do that for the nature of the Stock Trader Blog What is your take on this?
Hope to see and convincing answer here. Appreciate your help
Sorry, second question for podcast, just thought of it:
How valuable is the workbook for a brand new blog? My co-blogger and I want to buy it, but we were thinking about waiting for two or three months. Thoughts?
@Amanda I was only being polite…actually I (like you) follow the Man’s Game (Rugby League), and I am a Dogs supporter, so the Dragons have to get past the Dogs to break the drought. Mmm, don’t think so.
Hi,
for the “hour long blogging Q&A”, it would maybe be good to do it in segments, maybe by topics.
Maybe it’s just me, but I find it hard to find time to listen to one hour of podcast uninterrupted on my computer. Too many job or family intrusions. And without knowing what will happen in the podcast, even a 10 minute podcast already seems long. So maybe giving little head-ups at the start of each segment, what it will be about, would be good.
—
My question:
I am quite new to blogging and setting up my first website currently, using a Magazine Theme. That one will not be like a regular blog, but more “static”, showcasing my books and services as a writing coach.
I am torn very much on whether to include on the site also an introduction to the books that I am currently searching a publisher for (fiction and nonfiction)- or only the ones that were already published (only non-fiction).
The target group for the published ones are potential readers, the target group for the unpublished ones are publishing house editors. But I guess chances are slim they would even look at the site …
Do you think it makes sense to attempt to make the unpublished books more accessible to READERS instead of editors?
And how?
I am pondering on offering podcasts of the first chapters (I am told I have a nice reading voice). Maybe to offer one of the books as an ebook?
But I am not sure if that would be a lot of work for little effect. What do you think?
That’s an awesome freebies… I’m tracking every step of the way, looking forward to hear the questions later on.
@Ed Mercer: you definitely need to get in touch with the blog owner to get their permission. You certainly cannot just take content and republish it without permission.
(In fact, I’ve submitted a number of DCMA requests to blogger and other places to take down copies of my content that people had “stolen” without permission.)
Hello Darren.
I am reading your book and working through the workbook. My question is that I am strugglnig to find enough resources in related to UK for affiliates and articles. Any help in that area would be appreciated.
Paresh
Thank you for this opportunity to ask a question to you, who epitomizes the trueness of Professional Blogging.
1. Being a fledgling blogger, I want to know what is the best strategies to drive traffic to my blogs?
2. What are the first and easiest ways to monetize my blogs?
3. Are there opportunities on the Web to blog for companies who advertise this?
Thanks agian and keep up the great info.
Dr. Dave Hale
The Internet Marketing Professor
http://www.drdavehaleonline.com
what suggestions would you have for a site that has no peers? it seems that my idea has little to no competition. i am curious how one would market such a site
Believe it or not, Word Press help is very hard to find. Since many of us use the free themes, we haven’t a clue what they include or exclude with the theme. Is there some other resource than the WP forum (I have had questions go unanswered and had some really nasty people make fun of my questions and refer me to Codex).
Codex is very hard to search and hard for non-techies to understand it seems like it is written for people who want to develop themes.
I am simply trying to get trackbacks to show up and find other people’s trackbacks. I don’t know where to look and I use 2.7.1 which has some options in settings for trackbacks. I have marked them yes, but still can’t see them.
Hi Darren
Wonderful opportunity
My Question is how to get backlinks?
Regards
Salman
http://www.tips4blogging.co.cc for blogging tips and hacks.
Thanks Darren, i’m grateful to you.
Question: My blog is part of my website, I’m a consultant and my goal is to convert more visitors into leads (I don’t sell a book or report). My question revolves around conversion. What two or three mistakes do bloggers make that hurt their conversion rates? Or, what two or three things do you find yourself recommending bloggers do to increase their conversion?
I have a few questions for you Darren.
1-Do we only leave comments on recent posts of other bloggers? and use the old posts to link to
2- Are our pillar articles to be done as pages or posts?
3-Which is the best plugin to use for recording right into wordpress without having to make a file and then upload it (I tried mtr recorder but it was giving me an arror while installing)
4- How do I turn anchor text into links when I leave comments on others posts. I know it works in my blog but doesn’t seem to work in others.
Thanks so much
Your book is invaluable
Faige
Another question.
I checked out the theme thesis that some of your linked to post recommend. It seems great but I cant spend that money now. what is your resource for really great themes without scrolling through hundreds of them in digg.com
do you have particular one that is really good and free or really cheap?
I just got your book but haven’t found the time yet to start it.
My questions is about organizing blog posts, and using categories – do you recommend using many specific categories (right now I probably have at least categories 30 going) or narrowing it down to a smaller number, how many?
This would help as I’m doing a blog & website merger and redesign.
Thanks,
Aruna
P.S. my other question is something about time management but I don’t have time to formulate it!
But what do you think of slow blogging – only posting once a week but a more refined post? How to maximize a slow blog?
Thanks Darren,
I would like to know if you have any design layout lessons to maximize ease of reading, etc? Im specifically interested in column layout and sidebar suggestions. Thanks
Chris
Which method of “following” your blog do you consider more valuable: thru the RSS feed or via a newsletter?
Hi Darren,
I have been reading your blog tips for a few months now and really get a lot out of them. I am still new to the bloging world and appreciate all of your advice and experience. As a family we are majorly penny pinching until our apartment sells so I haven’t allowed myself to buy your book yet, but have been following the posts regularly and look forward to having it as a reference in the near future.
On to the question. Recently I wrote a post about a modified Vegan muffin recipe that my family and I have been enjoying. I gave credit to the book and authors who I got it from and added their book to an Amazon Carousel on my blog site. Do you think this was an appropriate way to introduce it to my readers and give proper credit where credit is due? Hopping so…
Thanks in advance for your time,
Melissa
aka: Mama Melly
Do you think it is important to have dates on posts? Doesn’t “dating” an article make it less likely to be read?
@ LauraSimmons -There is actually a “WordPress for Dummies” book. I bought it, and it looks decent, although I haven’t had the time to read it in great detail.
Here’s mine small question:
I have no problems with content is it is fine but what I lack is promotional strategy! How can I build a good strategy and most importantly stick with it?
Hey Kosmo, yes I bought that book as well and it was already outdated when I bought it and there are many things not covered in it. Plus there is the fact that different free themes can be coded differently.
Hey Faige,
I wanted to contact your personally about this in case you are not following this thread, but you can no about me or contact page on your site.
However, what I wanted to let you know is if you go the free themes are wordpress, you will see a listing of the most downloaded themes. There is usually a reason for this.
I use one of them but I probably won’t spell it correctly because I think it may be German since the author is from Bavaria. The theme is Atahalupa (or something like that). It is extremely flexible and the author also has a support forum. It’s free but even small donations are sincerely appreciated. He is trying to make a living at this.
How do you manage spam comments? How do you manage to read all comments and approve them manually? And then how do you manage 3 blogs? Do you spend more time in blogging then 9 to 5 job people?
How to find the best affiliates to work with is my question
thanks
David
Do you recommend that bloggers use a known blogging site (e.g., WordPress or Blogspot) or setting up their own website? Pros and cons of each?
It is very good idea but I have not any question.
First, thank you for the book and your blogs.
My question, how do you get over “perfectionism as a serious form of procrastination”? Wanting to have your site perfect out the gate, which then prevents the site from ever going live? I am building a network, but still working on the site. Should I just get over it and run with whatever happens?
Thanks again,
LatteLibrarian