Help! I Have Nothing to Write About.

If you're going for the Gold, this may seem like a complaint that surfaces A LOT. But it doesn't have to! Don't feel pressured to grab topics out of thin air weekly. This makes your writing process much harder and may deter you from Racing at your full potential.

Instead, venture off your blog for inspiration on what to write about on your blog. Following links and commenting are easy so make the most of them. When you go to follow a link, actually read the post whose link you are following. Similarly, pick interesting posts by your fellow bloggerd to read and comment on. Take to heart what they are saying and use their ideas to generate your own blog post.

Forums are another untapped resource for multi-tasking. Nosey around a related forum to see what's being asked or how things are being answered. From this you can take part in the discussion on the forum (which means more visibility for you) and also get good post ideas from current problems people are having or good/bad advice people are sharing.

(This will also make linking much easier since you'll be aware of other content on the Internet available to support your post.)

Lastly, stay current on the news in your niche. Use feedreaders like Bloglines and Google Reader to subscribe to feed of all kinds. Check these feeds once a day or every other day and save the articles that you find though provoking. When it's time to write, you'll have a plethora of content to choose from.

Hope this helps and good luck writing!!

~Andrea

Something Your Blog REALLY Needs!

I know a lot of you use visitor counters on your site to track visits. I bet a lot of you don't know that that widget counts ALL visits, even your own. And I also bet a lot of you don't realize there's a better way.

Enter Google Analytics. With this tool you can track the big stuff, like the number of visits, but also follow the granular stuff like where they're coming from, how they found you, and by what keywords. And the best part? Google Analytics is free!!

All it require is an account set-up and some small code added to your site. So if you have access to your code (as Blogspot blogs do), it's as simple as cutting and pasting. If you don't have access to your code, see your webmaster to discuss your options (i.e. the option of him/her cutting and pasting it in for you!)

And don't think you can go without tracking. If you really want to grow your blog, it's necessary (trust me).

Writing Content People Read

Internet users are lazy. We've established this. So how do you write for lazy people, that is, the Internet as a whole. Remember these easy steps:

1) Use appropriate line length. This means 12-16 words per line. You don't want people have to move their whole head to read across your post.

2) Use paragraphs abundantly. Short lined paragraphs... I'd say no more than 4-5 lines. Trust me, it'll look better and be more appealing to the eye.

3) Use headers and subheaders. This will allow user to more easily follow where you are going.

Ex.

Header 1

Subheader1
abcdefg

Subheader 2
abcdefg

Header 2
Etc...

OR

Header 1
abcdefg

Header 2
abcdefg

Other examples...

4) Use lists and bullet points often... 'nuf said.

5) Use bold and italic typefaces. It'll help discern or draw attention to your most important points.

6) Use images!! Create an appealing post or use it to separate areas.