Blogging Tips Part Two – Day 15 #30DBC

As a continuation of the previous Blogging Tips post, here is part two:

Comment, Share & Like

When you read blogposts, take a few seconds to leave a comment and maybe even share that blogpost in Twitter or Facebook or Google+. Leaving comments shows interest for the topic and helps you develop a relationship with that blogger. Sharing the article on your favorite social networks exposes that blog and the article to your audience. Both of these things, sharing and commenting, help you understand the topic better, and develop newer ideas and continue the global discussion of your niche. Not to mention that leaving comments with your URL will attract new readers to your own blog.

Remember Your Purpose

You'll run into obstacles when blogging, everyone does. Writer's block, burn-out, technical difficulties, discouraging feedback and other negative elements will creep up from time to time. You must remember why you're blogging. Revisit your purpose and remind yourself what you set out to do with your blog. If this issue you're having right now isn't directly related to you living up to your purpose then it doesn't matter. Put it aside and get back to blogging. Have you held off on publishing your blogpost because the font of your titles isn't perfect? Are you worried that you aren't using grammar correctly? These are just minor issues that you can address later or one little bit at a time. Your main focus is to write valuable content.

The Pursuit of Perfection is a Blog Killer

Waiting until you've had more time to review your draft just one more time will only delay you and frustrate you. Trying to get that one picture perfectly lined up the way you want could set you back several hours if you don't know what you're doing. Making sure all your widgets on your sidebar are just perfect with matching titles and colors is neat, but does it help you blog? Leave the perfectionism at the door when you start blogging. Don't confuse this with being sloppy! You still have to produce good quality, valuable content, but you don't need the perfection that something like a college thesis requires. This is blogging, it's loose, relaxed, get it done and out of the way. After your post is published, you can always go back and make edits.

Register With All Major Commenting Systems

Gravatar, WordPress.com, Blogger, Typepad, Disqus, Livefyre, and a few other systems out there allow you identify yourself easily when leaving comments. The mechanics of joining one of these networks at the time you're making a comment might detract you from leaving an insightful comment so get accounts setup and ready to go as soon as possible before you need them. Don't wait until you want to leave a comment somewhere, it is much easier if these accounts are ready to go. Another reason you'll want these accounts is because some blogs only accept comments from users within their own network. If you have ready access to all these accounts (you can use something like Lastpass to manage them), then leaving comments will be a breeze.

Have Fun!

Blogging should be fun, whether you blog for personal reasons, for financial gain or for an employer. Writing blogposts is fun when you're interested in the topic and you really get into it. If you see blogging as a chore or homework, it will be difficult to enjoy it. So relax, have a cup of your favorite drink and get to bloggin' --just make sure you have fun.

(all images by shutterstock)

In case you missed it, here's part 1. Blogging Tips Part 1