Today your task in the 31 Day challenge to Build a Better Blog is to do some learning from successful bloggers.
To do this I’ve asked nine bloggers that I know and respect to nominate a few posts from their own blogs archives that they believe would be most helpful for bloggers wanting to improve their blogs.
You might choose to read just a couple of the following links if you don’t have a lot of time up your sleeve today – but as someone who has just read through them all I suspect you’ll benefit most by reading as many of them as you can – there’s some great advice in this lot!
Here are the posts that the bloggers I asked nominated as their best tips for bloggers:
Seth Godin from Seths Blog
Rand Fiskin from SEOmoz
- 21 Tactics to Increase Blog Traffic
- Blogging in an Oversaturated Market is Usually a Poor Decision
- 21 Tips to earn links and tweets to your Blog Posts
Skellie from Skelliewag
- A Complete Guide to Finding and Using Incredible Flickr Images
- How to Start or Start Over Building Your Personal Brand
- 25 Paths to an Insanely Popular Blog
Chris Garrett from ChrisG
- Grow your google authority
- Diggbait, Linkbait, Flagship Content and Authority
- The art of getting things wrong
Yaro Starak from Entrepreneurs Journey
Jeremy Schoemaker from Shoemoney
Maki from Dosh Dosh
- 6 Fool-Proof Steps to Make More Money With Your Website
- Rethinking Blog Comments: Much More Than Just A Quick Way to Get Web Traffic
- You’re Not Just a Writer, You’re the Editor-in-Chief.
Liz Strauss from Successful Blog
- 10 Reasons Readers Don’t Leave Comments
- The Secret to Massive Digg/StumbleUpon Traffic Without Spamming
- 7 Great Ways to Connect with Other Bloggers While You’re Out Reading Blogs
Daniel Scocco from Daily Blog Tips
Chris Brogan from ChrisBrogan.com
- 50 Ways to Take Your Blog to the Next Level
- 40 Ways to Deliver Killer Blog Content
- 27 Secrets to Power your Community
Which of these posts did you resonate with most and find most useful? Share in the discussion here, or over at the forum thread dedicated to this Daily Task: Day 6 – Learn from Successful Bloggers.
Want More?This task is a sample of one of the tasks in the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Workbook – a downloadable resource designed to reinvigorate and revitalize blogs. Join over 14,000 other bloggers and Get your Copy Today. |
Outstanding list, Darren. All these folks know what they’re talking about.
I’m especially partial to Chris Brogan – not only is his advice clear and concise, it’s never delivered in a way that’s anything but completely accessible to those of us not dialed into the really complicated aspects of blogging (fully understanding SEO, etc.). I’ve incorporated his ideas at Blog Harbor and have seen a definitive increase in traffic over time.
Quick sidebar about Chris: He’s everywhere. His face is on websites, billboards, busses, subways, trailing behind planes advertising at ballgames, on blimps, at the International Space Station and in a tiny vodka bar in Kathmandu…ok, maybe not all of those, but my point is this…
He’s a smart and savvy guy who understands that to create community, you have to live in the community.
Really impressed with Rand Fiskin’s 21 Tactics to Increase Blog Traffic and with Chris Brogan’s 50 Ways to Take your Blog to the Next Level. Also really enjoyed Seth Godin’s How To Get Traffic To Your Blog.
This is exactly what I need – in-depth how-to on a new form of writing known as blogging. With a slight sigh on the amount of learning involved that is NOT writing related.
Although the links to a new community make the work of learning something new more than worthwhile.
Thanks.
I liked all of these – and yes, I read them all.
The one I resonated with was Liz Strauss
http://www.successful-blog.com/1/10-reasons-readers-dont-leave-comments/
One of the reasons I don’t leave comments is when I feel the writer has said it all already.
this is wicked!!!! thanx Darren
Done.
SeoMoz is the top pick, I’d say. And quality writing, pillar-style, probably beats all (besides basic human values like ‘thank you’ – which is working wonderfully for me).
Yaro’s “Pillar Article” post has been one of my favorites for awhile now. Got me obsessed with “Top 10” movie lists…
http://www.smalltowncritic.com/category/top-10-lists/
Lots to read and think about! At this point I’m more concerned about expanding my readership (in, admittedly, a niche topic) than in making money from my blog, but it’d sure be nice if I got something from Amazon and Google other than “You didn’t earn anything this quarter.” :)
Oops…almost forgot about Liz. Several comments earlier, Corinne mentioned Liz Strauss resonating for her. I’m with you, Corinne!
For me, Liz is right there in Chris Brogan’s class. She’s an absolutely delightful person I’ve had the great pleasure of communicating directly with…someone who has a complete and thorough understanding of community, sharing and how best to go about it.
Her advice is priceless.
Gosh, what a list. I thought the Eastern weekend would be kind of boring. You just saved me with this information.
Thanks for this.
Sweet! I am just about to launch my first blog, thanks for this great list of useful resources!
I am definitely bookmarking some of these! I’m a fan of Seth Godin and Chris Brogan both, so some of these I’ve already been implementing. Thank you, Darren, for all of the new information! Much of it does apply to the kind of blog you have, your audience, etc., but can be modified to suit your own needs. I appreciate it!
This was a great list but not really what I was looking for when I signed up for the challenge. I want something simple yet effective to do each day. I hate being overwhelmed.
Great list of amazing bloggers – I draw a lot of my inspiration from these guys.
http://www.lifewithoutpants.com
I just started a brand new blog this weekend and I’m going to follow a lot of these ideas. I took all my Adsense and affiliate advertising off until it’s established as per one of the instructions in one of the articles. I want to compare how quickly this one gets regular visitors and commentators as opposed to my more established one.
what great resources!
I’ve read some of them, there’s so much to learn, everyday.
thanks!
Luca
Wow! This was so amazing and inspiring and…overwhelming! Unlike Markus, however, I’m good with that. I’ll eat this Elephant one bite at a time.
Some of these Bloggers I know – I’m already a fan of Seth, Chris Garrett and Rand Fishkin and I’m completely addicted to anything Yaro (taking the Become a Blogger Course now and I can’t wait to move up to Blog Mastermind)!
I’ve skimmed some of the others and I’m really looking forward to diving in to them in depth. So if you’ll excuse me, I need to get a mug of hot chocolate, settle in on my couch and revel in this wonderful information!
By the way – I’m getting some traffic to my (brand new, just in it’s infancy) blog from some of you and I really appreciate it and I appreciate your comments, you have inspired me!
Have fun!
Impressive reading. Thank you Darren.
This course is really starting to take effect on my writing. Not only on my subjects but also on my overall perception of my blog.
Wanna see my latest post? ;)
http://zenlife.comze.com/2009/04/zen-for-ubuntu-users/
Great stuff again, this should keep me busy for a while, Im just starting a nes site, for online football games, so I can use all the advice I can get,http://footballgames09.com/
Great resources!
I’ve only made it as far as the Flickr images tips, and have been busy puny graphics with eye-catching imagery!
I’ve only made it as far as the Flickr images tips, and have been busy replacing puny graphics with eye-catching imagery!
Darren, this is a fantastic list. It will keep me busy for days! I have barely made it through a third of them, reading each one in depth.
I can already feel all the benefits from the 31DBBB challenge. Feeling more focused, getting ideas, making decisions. It’s all really great!
I’ve struggled to get past the “decent size blog” point. Traffic very, very slowly grows, and ad revenue pays the hosting but…
Anyway, thanks for all these links… there are some really good ideas in here. The entire 31 days was exciting to me, but I haven’t really “gotten into it” until this one.
Thanks!
Bruce
Darren,
This list turned out so fabulous! I’m delighted to be here with so many of my friends. I’m keeping this one — it’s a classic — and marking for my clients and a presentation that I’m doing at SOBCon09.
Thank you for letting me be a part. Addicted to this whole series.
I’ve read through most of the resources, and I must say that Maki, Rand and Skellie are my favourites. This post has given me a lot of theory necessary for better blogging. My blog is soon going to change, because I found out that there is so much to optimise.
Concerning the use of images: the Creative Commons license was the idea that is making the Internet truly free. I love it!
Darren,
This was very helpful. I heard much of the same theme from different perspectives. Very helpful for a newbie, such as myself.
Darren, wow, you are giving us so much meat! It’s hard to keep up with this homework. I’m trying. Can we have an easy day for Easter Sunday, please, please, please? I’m still working on the Day 5 assignment, and Day 1 keeps cropping back up in my mind. It’s good, but I could use a little help.
I’m looking at changing my blog byline and I posted a couple of alternatives. I’d be exceedingly grateful to have some new visitors give me their opinion. My loyal and trusty readers already know my blog and will stick around anyway. It’s new people I need to make sense to.
I’m willing to reciprocate with some feedback for your blog if you visit me. Just:
1. Visit my blog
2. Try to get an idea what my blog is about from the main page.
3. Visit this post and let me know what you think.
Thanks in advance for being a kind and helpful person :-)
Thanks for showing us another good example of day 2’s lesson: Write a List Post. :P
Just wanted to say thanks for creating this course for us. Sometimes just knowing where to start is a big problem.
It’s the old information overload and a good deal of the info out there is old and vague.
Hope we will have some hands on your blog lessons. Like how to use the all in one seo plug in or how to create a google map, I don’t know what is most useful for what types of blogs.
What I thought would be some very dry reading that hurt my eyes and brain turned into a very stirring afternoon of ideas. I enjoyed Liz & Maki’s sites the most – the way they write worked best for me. I took lots of notes and am excited to put all these new ideas on our blog some day soon. And will never forget that comments are a great, and long lasting, form of promotion and relationship building.
Thanks Darren ,
Hey Gr8 collection of articles .It is really helpful for me to start my new blog comning soon …
Wow. This will keep us busy!
Lots of homework for the weekend! Some of these guys I read, but some are new to me, so I really appreciate the share! Lots of stuff to read this weekend!
I liked the posts -something useful from all of them. Again the List post was mentioned. Thanks for pointing us to these great blogs.
I have the “Why Don’t Bloggers Understand Email Marketing?” handled. That was a major confidence booster.
I’ve read through 6 articles so far, and I have already made some changes – took off AdSense for now, changed how I list comments – LOTS of great stuff! One article said “Be controversial,” so my post today took on Martha Stewart and her segment on the Today Sow from Thursday, which got all the marblers in the world (literally – from around the world on the marbling digest in Yahoo) seriously PO’d at her. She treated a centuries-old art form with numerous misinformation.So check it out, ping me, do whatever!
http://marbledmusings.blogspot.com
Thanks Darren, will read one by one.
-Jarlin Paul
http://www.jarlinpaul.com/
Thanks Darren for the great collection! I personally like “How To Write Great Blog Content – The Pillar Article” from Yaro, great points indeed! :)
Regards,
Lee
Darren, what jewel of a post. Good to bookmark. Good to go.
I’m a new blogger and I’ve enjoyed reading sites like this. The frustrating part is that I read a lot about “you should do X, Y, & Z when you have 100,000 daily hits”, how do you get that many daily hits? I’m not ready much that targets the new blogger to growing a site to have 100K or more daily hits.
The tips in this article are great reads though. Thanks.
These are really great articles — I’m working my way through them all.
Thanks for compiling them, Darren.
Thanks for the reading list Darren. I read them all and have them bookmarked.
I only had a quick 5 minutes to spare this afternoon and so read only one from Liz Strauss. It has had a significant impact. Will bookmark and get to the others after school holidays! Thanks for putting together such a great resource.
These days I would add “green” blogs to the over saturated market.
It is one of the list that I have been looking forward to, so thanks to you Darren. I have already been reading your previous articles on such topics, and now I know what else to read!
Destination Infinity
Dear Darren, what an inspiring selection!
Combing the entire blogosphere for content and writing of this quality could take months if someone’s just starting out.
The wealth of information on this list of people & articles alone makes joining the 31DBBB a solid step ahead my online development program.
Thank you very much for so generously sharing!
Brillian post. This is definitely worth bookmarking.
I understand now that writing a blog is as much about reading blogs as well. i`ve made an effort to comment on blogs when I visit them but I always reply to comments left by others on my blog especially new people. i`m just not sure how to get their email address to reply to them personally.
This is an amazing list, I’ve subscribed to all of the writers by RSS. Skellie in particular is great!
Once again a post where I learned a lot!
Thank you. :-D
Greetings,
Claus D Jensen