Want to blog better in 2011? We’re here to help.
For those of you who want to take your blog to the next level in 2011 (perhaps you’ve stepped up to the Post a Day or Post a Week challenge), we’ve got your back.
From now on, we’ll be offering tips on blogging best practices to help you produce high-quality content, boost your readership, and make the most of all the fabulous WordPress.com features.
Here’s a handful of resources to get you started:
Need an idea?
Check out The Daily Post for a daily dose of writing tips and encouragement, or browse the Freshly Pressed posts or tag pages for inspiration. You can also combat writer’s block by tackling a thought-provoking Plinky prompt.
Keep in mind that the some of the best blogs are focused on one main subject and often target a specific audience. If you feel like you’re losing your focus, think about the reason why you started blogging in the first place, and how you define blogging success. Still feeling lost? Give these brainstorming exercises a shot.
Think you don’t have time to post?
Sure you do — WordPress.com users publish about half a million new posts every day. If so many others can find time, you can, too!
If you’re in a pinch, keep it simple with QuickPress. If you’re on the go, use WordPress.com on your mobile phone or create a post by email. You can even phone in an audio post! Writing posts in advance and setting them to automatically publish in the future is also a great idea for times when you’re going to be busy.
Want more visitors?
As long as you’re enjoying your blog, you’re successful. But if you want to draw a larger audience and interact more with other bloggers, there are plenty of ways to do so. Here’s one suggestion to get you started.
Consider this: You probably search the web for information frequently, and you’re able to find what you need pretty quickly (most of the time), right? That’s because you don’t carefully peruse all the information on a given topic, you rapidly scan page titles and headlines for specific keywords and phrases. Even when you’re leisurely browsing the web with no specific destination in mind, you use page titles to quickly determine whether or not a link is worth clicking.
Your blog post titles show up in a variety of places on the web and in the WordPress.com community. So if you want to boost traffic to your site, take the time to write descriptive, captivating headlines for your posts. For example, a post titled “Summer Vacation 2010” might be descriptive enough for you and your friends, but “Beaches, Bungee Jumping, and Backpacking: My Adventures in Costa Rica” has a much better chance of attracting new visitors.
Check out Are You Writing Rockin’ Blog Post Titles? for tips on how to write better headlines.
Make 2011 your best blogging year ever!
Remember that you’re a part of a huge community of people who are passionate about blogging. We hope you’ll utilize comments and likes to offer feedback, support, and encouragement to one another as you work toward your blogging goals for 2011.
- January 21, 2011
- Better Blogging, Resources
I’ve taken on the Post-A-Week challenge! Thanks for the tips!
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Some good ideas here. I can recommend scheduling posts to publish in the future. Just write a few when you feel in the mood so you have a few spare for when you don’t feel in the mood to write.
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Several good reminders here, perfect timing for this weekend’s Bloggiesta!
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I thank you for interesting news and the help!
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Me agrada mucho la idea respecto a estos consejos que están por venir. Espero que sean muy útiles para todos los amigos, saludos!
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Oooh! I’m all excited about this series. I’ve been SO LOVING the Post A Day challenge (and I’m still looking for blogging buddies, so hit me up) and I’ll be checking in to see what sorts of inspiration and insight you have to offer. =) Yaaaay!
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Nice tips… 🙂
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Awesome tips! I think I’ll go change some blog titles now
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Thanks for the excellent advice
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Great advice. I intend to write articles about different topics of law both Criminal and Civil. I just started this year but I intend to do aregular series of articles.
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I need to get cracking on better blog titles…. Thanks! K
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Hmm… I’ll try it. Thank you for the tips!
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This is great. Thanks for the support.
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I like the “Are You Writing Rockin’ Blog Post Titles?” tips…good stuff.
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Very informative. Thanks for thinking of us!
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When needing material to write about start looking at the people and things directly around you. You may find that the closest things to your heart are the reasons for the inspiration you started blogging for in the first place. A family is a cause that never ends!
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I’ve been posting like crazy ever since joining Post-A-Day 2011, and ironically enough, my MOST POPULAR post was where I simply mentioned I’d added the Post-A-Day badge. Who’d know that’d be so popular?
Ingenious ideas Word Press, you’ve certainly upped my motivation!
Keep the updates coming, I look forward to them.
And if anyone else needs topic ideas, I’ll be posting a huge list of ideas sometime this weekend.
Good luck to all – step up your blog’s pace with one of the challenges! [Post-A-Week / Post-A-Day]
It’s not a drag, not boring, rather, it constantly keeps you on your toes. It’s great coming up with ideas
with something motivating you to do so!
Cordially,
-Adventure Writer
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Agree so much. Particulaly on constructing titles. I’d say descriptive titles beat ‘creative’ ones for grabbing traffic.
Best wishes
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thanks for info
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So grateful for this info…you’ve answered many of my questions!
🙂
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Amei estas informações;
só que ainda estou aprendendo a blogar
e gostaria de saber melhor como meu blog pode ser mais visitado
, ou melhor, mais lido.
Muito obrigada.
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As usual, you folks, from wordpress.com out do yourselves!! All advice, and information is greatly appreciated from this grateful blogger, who loves wordpress. God bless you all…..
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this really gives me a lot o motivation. I already have several posts in the queue…
thanks a lot!
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Super!
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I love it.
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Awesome tips thanks for all the help. I can definitely use it.
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Good idea to schedule posts.
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Excellent Erica,
Thanks for taking the time to pass on some very inspiring tips and Kicks!
I am always complaining about ‘Not enough time’. And the title keyword tip is great. I never really know where one should put the keywords. Never quite sure if the best place should be in the body of the post, or elsewhere. So, I am another who is looking forward to the ‘Challenge’. I have half joined in! I’m gonna do the weekly challenge….Well it’s a start!
Many thanks
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Good practical advice. Started my blog just yesterday but will keep it going. 🙂
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Encouraging advice! I’ve posted 170,000 words since February of 2010 and am aiming to produce 200,000 more by the end of 2011. I find that, like any muscle, once it gets some exercise the writing bug starts to enjoy the workout. I feel incomplete if I go for one day without posting.
Love your Hapa site, by the way 🙂
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Yes it does really come down to a captivating headline…. I used one the other day and it “WORKS”… also I appreciated you saying if it makes you happy or you find joy in blogging…that counts too. Cheers
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Waooo, this is a very helpful news!!
Thanks.
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Thank you so much for the advice 🙂
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Great tips and advice on the blog titles….. will work on that!
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Thanks for the advice.
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Thank you for this advice post. The thing I learned from it is that I need to go back and rename some of my posts 🙂
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I just started mine. But I def do post-a-week!! n good point for blog titles.
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this was a useful read, and one that will no-doubt make me think more about the way I blog. Thankyou for posting this.
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I think 2011 will make US the best bloggers ever! Interesting times call for interesting posts!!!
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I like this thank you
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I have been blogging for several years now and thank you WP for that. The thing that helped me to find the time, was to blog about the things that I was thinking about anyway. By using blogs to help me focus my thoughts meant that I was able to actually save time by blogging. I would go into meetings and conversations better prepared than I would otherwise be had I not blogged.
Thats my take on blogging and time management.
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Like the tips, thanks!
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OMG I’m loving your passion about blogging 🙂 Thanks for all these helpful tips.
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“write descriptive, captivating headlines for your posts”
thanks for a basic but important tip .
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thanks for pointing out the
http://wordpress.com/#tags
tag pages – I will use them now for inspiration …
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well i have already taken post-a-week challenge for 2 weeks now and i guess i have only missed a week since then.
i usually face problem with the topic, sometimes my head is full of many topic and sometimes none.
well this is how it goes, for me hardest part is to decide which audience i am writing for, usually, its to myself … 😀
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I’ve taken the post a week challenge and am really happy with how I’ve been doing so far. I’ve had my blog since 2006 and have never really been able to keep on track with blogging regularly, thanks for doing this!
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Thanks Erica for these wonderful and helpful tips! More power WP team.
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Very good!
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Thank you!!! Actually I started my blog one year ago only and the ” 2010 in review” that I recieved from wordpress was GREAT!! I’m happy for what I achieved last year and i’m going forward to post more and more this year…. Thank you wordpress 🙂
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Thanks for info
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Good advice, thanks. I have to say, though, that these post a day challenges, while encouraging people to write, don’t necessarily result in good writing. I think it’s better to stick by the rule that if you have something to say, say it, otherwise keep quiet.
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Everyone has different blogging goals. Some publish daily, some write daily but publish weekly, some post a few times a month. We encourage people to customize the challenge to align with their own blogging goals.
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Great advices, thanks!
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way to go Erica… I ‘m loving this post! 🙂
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Thanks for remind us such good advices!
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good advice many thanks
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great tips! 🙂
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thx
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Thanks a lot for the help 🙂
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yep … did a post a day since September and i got a word press sounding name now too. now i really feel like part of the wordpress herd
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Thanks for the advice. I will give some of these suggestions a try.
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Some good advice here! Thanks! I´ve just started a week ago, and I enjoy every second. As I´m a teacher I only get to read what my students write…This is a wonderful opportunity to excel in spreading out my own thoughts and reflections all over the page – and, to blur out my inner poetry… so to speak. Why not put it all together? I think I understand why students prefer blogging to other ways of writing. I´ll have a look at the Challenge!
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I will definitely try these suggestions, and see if they help.
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its great thank you
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I just started my blog yesterday and today is my birthday. Happy blogging!
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Thanks for all the suggestions. I’m definitely going to work on those titles. Keep the ideas coming!
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Thank you for the tips !
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I have taken on the post a day, and while currently I am writing one each day, in the future I might want to try the “post in the future” option. I like your suggestion of the better titles.
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I’ve just started blogging but using the scheduling option has been awesome! Then I can sleep in but still share my cattoons! 🙂 Thanks for the suggestion!
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Thanks for the suggestions. I appreciate it.
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Thanks for the wonderful suggestions. I’ll be using them
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Thanks, for the encouragement. I have a hard time, trying to decide what to put in my blog, so then I do nothing, and your suggestion to work on the titles, will help.
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Thanks for the advise. I signed up for a post-a-week but sometimes even that feels a bit overwhelming. I think I’ll just focus on your practical advice and perhaps that will make the task seem less daunting. My hats off to those who took on the post-a-day challenging. I’m rooting for you all!
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If once a week is overwhelming, start with once every two weeks. Whatever works for you — blogging should be something you enjoy, not a chore!
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Going to try the Post-A-Week challenge! Thanks for the tips!
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Any advice to inspire writing is excellent advice! Even though my blog is about music (Rock, Hard Rock & Heavy Metal), I will branch out with ideas other than album reviews. There are interviews, book reviews, concerts and those “everyday” experiences that relate to music that prove to be fun to write. That occasional “list” that relates to Rock ‘N’ Roll is always a fun way to attract new & regular visitors and comments, even though lists sometimes take a bad rap!
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I already try to make sure I post once a week . . . wonder if I should push myself to once a day mmmm? Gd tips 🙂
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helpful….
Happy 2011.
😉
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thanks a bunch
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Thanks for the advise. 🙂
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I just started my blog today and that was some much needed information! Thanks
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One of my readers asked if I was going to put up the postaday/week challenge widget. She said it wasn’t too difficult. How do you do it? Thanks.
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Here’s how to get a badge for your blog.
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My 365 project is on. Today is my 92nd day of my project. Sometimes is hard but I promised myself that I will do this so I will! 🙂
Now I am happy that I found this site when I can find some many people who do this same.
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Having fun with the post titles is great. With film reviews, I name the post a memorable (often comical) line from the film itself.
I always tend to read others post if the title sounds interesting. Pass if it’s boring.
Thanks for the extra tips!
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Nice. Thanks. 😀
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Good suggestions… thank’s for the tips… sounds like the title post may be an interesting place to start… I’ll try a few to see how it works.
Keep up the good work!
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Day one of blogging every day and I have one post and no comments…….this may take a while.
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Cool im going to really use your tip on the titles to help drive more traffic to my blog. Great post 🙂
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good Advice!
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I’m a tad new at this blogging bit and these tips are just what I needed to get right on with it.
Thanks so much.
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Thank you very much for your advice.
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“Make 2011 your best blogging year”
I sure will. Thanks for the encouragement!
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very helpful tips, Thanks!
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Thank you for your post. it’s good for any blogs in wordpress.
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Espero poder levar o máximo de informação aos meus leitores!!!! Um abraço a todos os blogeiros de platão. 😀
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I stepped up to the challenge! Thanks for the tips!
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Good article. I have not really got into blogging and I really want to but there are so many blogs out there I sometimes wonder if it is actually worthwhile given the chances of someone coming across my particular blog. Still, there were some good tips and I am going to have a good hard think and see what comes out.
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As long as you enjoy your blog, that’s all that matters 🙂
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Thank you for your suggestion. It’s very useful.
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It’s not as easy as it should be to join the Postaday or postaweek. Ideas are not always the problem. So you post that you have joined. Doesn’t the post then get lost to the bottome of the list of posts?
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The announcement post is just a way of telling your readers that you’ve joined. To participate, simply tag your posts with “postaday2011” or “postaweek2011” and be sure to subscribe to the Daily Post. Learn more about the challenge here.
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This was such a helpful article. Thanks!
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Thanks
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