My Google Reader account is full of blogs. So full in fact that I have to talk myself into using the damn thing because more often than not I can remember out of just thinking about it what blogs I visit on a daily basis and get there myself, without the help of the reader.
That being said, I feel now that there is a time you should look into actually adding a blog to your RSS reader because it matters. You might be thinking… But don’t all blogs that have something useful to say matter? Yes, if it’s going to add value to your daily life. Not if it’s just something you can remember easliy and has a few good articles every once in a while.
My point with this has to do with a few factors about blogs in general which are…
Amazing And Catchy Titles
I write the title of my articles first and I recommend you do the same. I heard about this from CopyBlogger.com and the reason it’s recommended is because it’s a starting point to what you’re going to talk about in your article. Have a great title and use some key words each time. Make sure it makes sense and that it will catch attention of certain people and make them want to know more. This is where it all starts because if no article catches their attention then you’re never going to have them visit that article.
Amazing Content To Backup Your Titles
This is just as important in my opinion. Make sure that you provide extremely useful content that is related to your title in some way and that really stands out in how you present it. At first you might suck at writing but if you’re writing about something you’re passionate about it really shouldn’t take long before you really do become better at it. Let your article inspire people, teach them something, allow them to think about what you’re saying, have solid and meanginful points and ask them questions to really get something going on in their heads. Do all of this each and every time you write an article about anything and watch what happens.
Interact
Everyone knows about commenting and it’s important to do so. If you want to know what everyone thinks about what you have to say you need to ask them to do do this. More important, whether you have 50 comments a day or 2 comments a day is replying back and interacting with people. This shows so much about your blog and about you. Do this and watch what happens. On top of this you need to at least visit the blogs that comment on your blog to see if there’s anything you can find of value and return the favor with. If not, that’s ok. But you should at least put in the extra effort to show you appreciate something they have to say in case you do find something worth saying on their end of things.
Re-Tweet
There’s more than just tweeting out there to help spread the word about your blog and your fellow bloggers, I understand that. Tweets however, are one of the biggest ways of spreading information around so do something to allow your content to be spread because if it’s good enough (and you’ll know if it is) then you want to provide a way of doing this. Also, make sure you remember to return the favor to others who provide excellent content and value. Give them love too.
My bottom line with all of this is quite simple. This is just the basics of what I feel makes a decent blog… Yes a decent one. Look at these factors to see if that blog is worth keeping in your RSS reader. If so, keep it. If not, maybe it’s time to reconsider why it’s still sitting there.
Why am I putting this statement out there? Because this is one huge factor to look at to make sure you’re getting value for your time and maybe someone can think about doing all of this to maintain their stability in YOUR RSS reader for days and more to come.
Keep all this in mind when loading up whatever reader you use and consider why you read each blog there when you visit it. I make sure there’s enough good articles that really catch my eye and I make sure that they’re always interacting with their commenters and maintaining things nicely. Consistency is a big factor in keeping up with things.
Ok… Now to you my loyal friends, family and fellow bloggers.
What do you consider to be worth keeping certain blogs in your RSS feed readers each time you visit them?
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Hi, my name is Eric Heavilin and welcome to BluePop13.com. Here you will find the latest information on how to improve your blog using three simple techniques I've been using since I started this blog in 2010. If you have any questions feel free to ask. Thanks! :)
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{ 36 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Eric,
For me I tried to write the titles first, but felt constrained. Once I got the main idea I wanted to get across and then just wrote about it, I found it was easy to come up with a catchy title at the end. I understand the theory behind writing the title first and I don’t have a theory why it doesn’t work for me, nor do I have one for why leaving titles till last works for me either.
Gordie´s last blog ..Lifestyle Design Is NOT Dead!
Hey Gordie, how are you?
Well, the thing is man, no one way works for everyone and that’s what makes things interesting… Or should I say keeps things that way? Either way, sometimes I myself can’t think of a title but also as you mentioned, I can come up with a really good idea and build around that and come up with a title last. I just figure that if I can do a title first I can build a story around that.
Whatever makes it easier and more productive and gives the most value is what should be.
Your blog is pretty awesome so whatever you’re doing keep doing it.
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Eric,
Funny you should mention the title to your post being an important part of your blog. Of all the posts that I have read this month, I can only remember one: “Penny, Nickel, Dime, Quarter”. That rocks!
As far as who makes it into my RSS Feeder, I would say, anyone who is in the class of Blogging Full Time. I really need to see content everyday to hold my interest, also it gives me “food for thought”, so that I can hit on ideas of my own that I can use for my Blog.
Jeffrey´s last blog ..Abstract Concepts For The New Blogger
Hey Jeffrey,
Yeah the Penny, Nickel post really did stand out, that’s for sure.
I keep bloggers in my RSS feed reader who I’ve been visiting for months on a daily basis. I may pick a few new ones here or there but mostly I have the people who I’m concerned with. Things change so you never know what blog will come onto the scene net though.
Thanks for stopping by!
Thinking I’m going to have to go through my RSS again… May have a few hundred by now, it’s getting ridiculous.
I think that a blog is worth keeping for me if it makes me smile, provides me with information or inspiration, or lets me keep in touch with my niche/industry. Course, this becomes a problem when hundreds of blogs make you smile – you get blog blur!
Heather´s last blog ..Something This Blog Always Needed
Heather,
Nice to see you… That blog blur I’m thinking could make for a great blog post some time! I’m the same though I don’t think I have hundreds but I have enough and some of them I don’t ever check. I’ve been using Google Reader more now to keep up with things so I don’t have to go to each website but sometimes I’ll wonder if I forgot to add a blog to my RSS when I’m used to just typing in the address of it and going. Kinda weird I guess.
I agree with you though. If a blog makes you want to read it for any reason and really keeps you interested then it’s worth checking out and keeping up with.
Thanks for sharing!
I think it is a very important question, it is so easy to spend lot’s of useless time if you don’t draw a limit.
I have a rule in life, and I apply it to the internet as well. Before it comes to my home, I need to consider if I really need it. Ok, it may not be that obvious, but sometimes you get stuff because it’s cool, not because you need it. I’m a bit more relaxed with the internet, I’m very willing to try to follow new blogs, to be open for new great stuff.
But when it comes to blogs, I always ask myself:
Does it help my work?
Is it a competitor’s blog?
Is it related to my main interests and hobbies and do I have the time for it?
Is it helping and improving my or my family’s life?
I’m not saying that there’s no room for fun, and I read a lot just for my hobbies.
Also, when I find a great article, I usually subscribe and follow the writer for a while, then decide if it’s a keeper. For example, I found this blog recently, and every time there’s a new post, I come back because I find great value in it. So, it’s a keeper. But many aren’t.
Also, what’s important is there are some very good blogs around the same topic, and it is really enough to read one or two.
Just my $0.02
Tom
Tom´s last blog ..What is Braille And How It Was Created
Hey Tom,
Yeah there’s always some things to consider doing or thinking about when spending so much time reading blogs you’ve subscribed to or when deciding to follow new ones. A lot blogs do say the same thing but in different ways or from different point of views so it’s kinda nice to hear and learn from each of them if they provide value.
Thanks!
hi eric,
how are you?
i am not really a fan of rss. i prefer to subscribe by email and receive a flood of blog posts in my inbox everyday. It allows me to open each mail to read it. With rss, the probability of me checking it is 2/10. For blogs which dont offer the subscribe by email alternative, I subscribe by rss but has bookmarked a list of links where i check each day. I set a goal in january which was to read and subscribe to 50 blogs that would inspire, educate, impart knowledge & hopes to increase the number each quarter.
have a lovely weekend
ayo´s last blog ..Useful Ways To Become DAFT!!!
Hey Ayo,
That’s a good goal you have set there it sounds like. I personally sign up via RSS because that way I can just sign into my Google Reader account and pick and choose which blog I feel like reading and such. I have too many emails in my inbox so I’m not the biggest fan of doing things that way.
If it works for you and makes your life easier, power to it!
Thanks!
I do the same when I go to write a post, I will type in the title I want to write about. I think I could use a little more work on making it catchy but it usually helps me focus on my body content.
If I try writing the content first I usually jump around more. I don’t know why this is but putting the title in first works for me.
The rest of your post I would stress for any amateur bloggers to consider, I do the same and my blog is accelerating at a fast pace.
Great post man!
Ryan Hanzel´s last blog ..Bundle of joy
Hey Ryan,
Everyone’s different in how they choose to write their articles and I agree here, writing the title, at least most of the time, will help you stay focused and on track for your words to come. The opposite could work but I’ve had the best luck doing things this way.
Thanks!
I try and write my article titles first, but they often get changed half way through the article when I come up with something more appropriate.
Anthony Feint´s last blog ..It’s Time to Think About Income
Anthony,
Sometimes after writing something a new title comes to mind even better than what you had previously written. This I find to be awesome because you have the choice of picking either title.
What about you?
Hey Brother, I write the titles first too and completely agree it gives you the topic like sitting around with a group of friends to hash out a subject, really good idea.
Re-tweeting is really important too, every comment I leave is followed by re-tweeting that post (if they have a button of course)
Good post brother
TheInfoPreneur´s last blog ..Why You Need To Work With Someone Stronger Than You
James,
Thanks for stopping by.
Yeah it’s like having a conversation with friends and a random topic just comes out of no where that everyone can just start talking about. I’m with you on the re-tweeting of course. I just type in the name of the article and copy the address (without the comment I just left) and paste it into TweetDeck usually, that way my Facebook friends, MySpace and Twitter friends all get to see it.
Thanks!
Actually I find that question hard. Sometimes Its my first time reading that blog and yet I subscribe to it quickly. I think it depends.
Melvin´s last blog ..MyBlogGuest Review: Promote Your Brand by Guest Posting
Melvin,
I’ve done this before myself only when there’s a couple really good articles that stand out to me and I’d rather not book mark them. Then I just add them to my RSS and try to remember to read them later! lol
Thanks for stopping by!
Hey Eric,
If I come across a blog post that I like I’ll subscribe straight away and then decide on future articles whether to keep reading or not.
Having a catchy title is a must. A catchy title is what gets readers from the social networking sites and from your rss feed to actually jump across to your site to find out what’s going on; the intrigue has been set.
I like to think of a post idea and draw out a rough plan in my head and then I try to come up with a decent headline for it.
Regards,
Karl
Karl Foxley´s last blog ..Google Page Rank Score Too Low? Keep Your Links Thank You
Hey Karl,
Yeah the title is extremely important to get any recognition at all. I can count countless times when I didn’t bother checking out the article based on the title. Then again, we shouldn’t always judge an article by it’s title but every blogger should work hard to produce a fantastic title and really, they’re not all that hard to come up with.
Sometimes writing the article first can give you a good idea for a post title so even if you already have one in place, you can then decide which one you’d like to use.
Thanks for stopping by!
Titles are my weakness. I think mine are too cryptic. I think they are clever but they don’t really add anything to the spiders or the humans.
Ralph,
Titles don’t always have to have something particular to do with the post as much as they do the whole point of the article itself. Just keep workin’ on ‘em and keep delivering great content. Things will always come with enough good effort and hard work.
Thanks!
I tend to decide my Post Titles first. The ideas and content just follow through. When I write/decide a title the things I am going to write get processed in my mind. Next is a little search and research.
About following a blog. I tend to watch the Title and then the content.
Agent Deepak´s last blog ..Interview with Jim the Net Fool Guy
Agent,
Post titles usually work well for most people. Either way, as long as a killer article comes about it’s what makes it all work.
A title has power on whether to read a post, that’s for sure.
Thanks for the comment!
Yeah Catchy titles do it for most people but it can be a double-edged sword when the content is not great or it is misleading.
Retweeting is cool. Do you retweet your posts?
Olusegun,
That’s something to watch out for is a title that has absolutely nothing at all to do with the article in mind.
I do Re-Tweet every blog post I read that I leave a comment on and I do so after leaving my comment. As far as my own blog posts, I do Re-Tweet them as well.
What do you use for tweeting and all?
Good advice, Eric
I find it really easy to come up with great-sounding and catchy titles, but then have a hard time finding enough words to actually make up a article-length post.
It’s so easy to be inspired and motivated, but you’re right – sometimes it’s not convenient, like when I’m at work and all I can think about is the article that I want to write that night.
I’ve now used folders in my RSS reader and group blogs that way. There are folders that I read every day and then there are others that I leave to build up to read later. It keeps me sane and not overwhelmed with so many new articles to read.
Karen
Karen´s last blog ..Are You Being Your True Authentic Self?
Hey Karen,
I’m like you. There are some blogs I read every day and others I don’t because I know they’re just not updated every day. It’s always annoying to have to wait to get home to write up something for fear of losing thought throughout the day.
I have that quite a lot myself.
Thanks!
Hey Eric,
Good post. I too start with the title. Quite often Instead of writing notes in my iPhone I’ll write just the title in the wordpress app and save it to drafts when I think of it.
It’s a good tip and works well.
Matthew
Hey Matt,
That’s a good tip… Why didn’t I think of that? Well, I’ll have to do that and see how it works for me.
Thanks!
@Karen,
you’re right the title’s the easy bit. Quite often I start with the title and it’s 3 months later before the article is written…
@Eric, don’t worry you’ll get your guest post way before 3 months…..
Matthew Needham´s last blog ..You never know what a blog will lead to
Matt,
Lol I’m not worried… I believe I’ll get it long before that!
It’s my first time here, so I’ll have to explore more of your blog. I definitely like your advice here. For the last two weeks, it seems that either I’ll have a title in mind, which drives my post OR I’ll start writing the post and come up with a title.
I suppose whichever way works for you
Moon Hussain´s last blog ..Why Automating Your Proccess Is The Only Way To Stay Sane
Hey Moon,
First of all I really like your name. Very cool name, just had to say that.
I feel it’s good to just come up with an idea and base your words around that idea. If it turns out to be a great title, wonderful… If it just so turns out to be a great part of your writing and you add a title later, great too!
Thanks for stopping by and welcome to the community!
for me the title is the easy part. the ending however is a complete nightmare! i guess i read too many good bloggers/authors who know how to “tie on bow” on their work at the end.
Eric,
Yeah the title does come in handy and usually have certain points you want to address in your article helps in writing it out all the way.
Thanks for sharing!