How to Perfect Your Blogger Bio

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how to improve your blogger bio

There are several reasons to blog, but notoriety is usually one of them. Regular blogging can increase your online presence and make you better known within your industry. However, your content isn’t the only thing that will make you better known. A well-written blogger bio (that usually appears on the sidebar or at the end of your post) can be your ticket to further engaging with your readers. If they find out that they both like your writing and you have a clever bio, they are more likely to connect with you through Twitter, Google+ or your website.

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Five Lessons from Tim Ferriss to Write a Superior Blog Post

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Writing content

Anyone can write a blog post, but fewer can create something that truly connects with readers. Tim Ferriss, a three-time New York Times Best-Selling author, has been captivating readers since 2007. From “How to Lose 20 lbs. of Fat in 30 Days…Without Doing Any Exercise” to “20 Things I’ve Learned From Traveling Around the World for Three Years”, Tim has a heavily shared collection of content on his Four Hour Work Week blog.

Of course, being a world renowned author definitely helps. However, there are several things we can learn, and apply with our own blogs… [Read more…]

How to Provide Great Blog Content Without Being Too Salesy

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how to write great blog content that isn't overly promotional

Many marketers start blogs for their company as a way to promote their products or services through another medium. However, as the recent Google updates and overall best practices for search engine optimization and content marketing go, it is best to focus on providing blog posts that are useful and cover industry news instead of trying to sell more products.

Throughout the years, internet users have become smarter and better about finding the information they need and are interested in. Because of this, they are not willing to waste their time looking at overly promotional copy that isn’t teaching them something new or catering to their interests.  Because of this, it is time for bloggers to step up their game and start providing great content. Once a website begins to get recognized as a leader in their industry for providing great information through their blog posts, they will start getting more leads and traffic.

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How to Write a Blog Post in 5 Steps and 15 Minutes

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Can you really write a quality blog post in 15 minutes?  Yes, but that should just be your time actually writing the post, and not the time doing the research and preparing to write.  I don’t want to mislead anyone here. If you are writing about a topic that you don’t know much about it could takes a couple hours just doing research.   But a quick 15 minute article should be written about what you know, what you enjoy, what you are passionate about.

The part of writing an article that can take the longest is doing research.  This is why I recommend making it a habit of doing research on a regular basis.  This way, when it is time to start writing you already have a head full of information.  But you can’t be expected to remember everything you read, so always do research with an eager mind and a ready pen.  Write down any stats, thoughts, and figures that you think might be useful. [Read more…]

Nothing to Blog About: Backlogitis

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Nothing to blog about article series logoWe all have it. The email inbox reaches 1,000 unread messages like some virtual red flashing light indicator of procrastination. You’ve got 600 tweets to read and 45 DMs to respond to. Your WordPress blog is still version 2.5 and your WordPress Theme only works with WordPress 2.1. The To Do pile on your desk resembles the Leaning Tower of Pisa. You’ve got Netflix movies stacked upon Blockbuster videos past due to return. And your blog is begging for a blog post.

The symptoms are all there.

You have backlogitis. [Read more…]

Nothing to Blog About: Not Every Blog Post Should See the Light of Publish

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Nothing to blog about article series logoAs mentioned in the last article in Nothing to Blog About, not every idea is worth publishing. Not every blog post is publishable. Not every blog post should see the light of the public eye. And sometimes that type of blog post is stopping us from producing blog content.

I can’t tell you the many hours I’ve spent struggling over a blog post, determined it had value and needed to be published. I’d beat at it, thrash it, rip and tear it apart, only to decide it wasn’t ready, nor was I, to have this ever be published.

Has this happened to you? A blog post you want to publish sits in your drafts or stares at you from your blog screen screaming, “NO! NOT YET!”

Are you listening? [Read more…]

Nothing to Blog About: Hit the Ideas File

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Nothing to blog about article series logoIf people judged me by the number of ideas I generated in single day on the subject of WordPress and blogging, I’d be the Einstein of the blogosphere. If they took a peek into the all the various files, folders, virtual and physical, I have to store all of those ideas, they’d pack me up and send me to the mental institution.

I come up with ideas for things to blog about constantly, rarely running out of ideas. The problem is that few of these see the light of day, or I get so caught up in the ideas, I can’t get past the idea to the Publish button.

As part of this series called Nothing to Blog About, we’re talking about how to stir up your mental pot when the bloggy brain bogs down and content cannot be found. From among the various options suggested already, I’d like to resurrect the traditional idea file. [Read more…]

Nothing to Blog About: Are You Blogging What You Should Be Blogging?

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Nothing to blog about article series logoIn the last article in this new series called Nothing to Blog About, I asked you to go back to your roots, in a sense, to start over and find that “lovin’ feeling” you’ve lost about your blog subject matter to re-energize your creative blogging spirit.

What happens if you can’t find it? What happens if you’ve really lost that lovin’ feeling? [Read more…]

Nothing To Blog About: Go Back to Your Roots

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Nothing to blog about article series logoIn this new series called Nothing to Blog About, we’re looking at the various ways your blogging creativity can be temporarily dried up and plugged up, and how to break the dam. Today, my recommendation is to go back to your roots.

Go Back to the Beginning

I know all there is to know about blogging, right? I’ve been doing this longer than most people, in fact, before some tweeters and bloggers were even born (that’s a scary thought!). I’ve been through all the various blog struggles and hoops there are to blog through. I’ve survived all the names changes from website to online journal to weblog to blogging to microblogging and the belief that social media is a new concept. I’ve had my content stolen, been accused of stealing other people’s content, abused by trolls and comment spammers, survived changes in web technology and many upgrades, and lived to blog on another day. So I’ve been there, done it all, haven’t I?

Have I? What I’ve done is forgotten what is was like to start blogging. To be the new kid on the bloggy block. [Read more…]

Nothing To Blog About: Leave, Quit, Stop

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Nothing to blog about article series logoThat’s right. Leave. Get out of here. If you got nothing to say to the world through your blog, leave, quit, stop. Get away from your desk, your computer, your office, your home, your life. Go away.

Not forever, just long enough to clear your head and mind and find your creative juices again.

As part of this new series called Nothing to Blog About, we’re looking at the various ways your blogging creativity can be temporarily dried up and plugged up, and how to break the dam. My first recommendation is for you to leave your blog for a vacation. [Read more…]