Summary – 5 most important blog tips I learnt so far
It has been about a year and a half since I started blogging. At first I was merely trying what this blogging is about. After about 20 articles later, I started to enjoy sharing ideas on self improvement. Why? Because the more I share, the more ideas seemed to pour in. It’s still a mystery but I think the best explanation for it is that if you really want something, just work on it and enjoy. The mind will automatically do the rest of the job for you.
Compiled below are some of the most basic blogging tips I learnt. The best thing about the tips is that if you take the time to look at them, you will notice that they can also be applied to real life. I’m sure you will find the blog tips really basic. But the idea of this article is really on how to apply it to both your blog and your life. To make this slightly more fun, I will let you figure out how to apply them in real life.
1) When People Comment, Reply
This has always been my policy. There are now about 1500 comments altogether since I started, and I have replied to each and every one of them. It takes quite an effort for any readers to write their opinion on an article. They are taking some time of their life to do this. The least you can do is to reply to the comment. Personally, comments are the best motivation for me to keep on writing. So if you do comment on this blog, rest assured I will reply them however busy I am as a token of appreciation.
I have also been commenting in others’ blogs. And nothing’s more demotivating than to see that my comments remained unanswered. It’s as if I am commenting to a wall. I know for a site that has hundreds of comments, it’s going to be hard to reply to all of them. I guess in the end, it will be all up to you to define your number.
Appreciate readers, they are the ones we actually write to.
2) Do Not Be Afraid To Change
If you have been following the blog, you will know how many times I have overhauled the whole blog with new themes, articles formatting etc. There was even a time when the blog is gloomy looking with a child-like theme (Yes, you guessed it right. It’s the image above). The articles were also different back then. I even wrote a piece on forcasting weather and ghost theories. It’s really an experiment that continues until today to see what work and what doesn’t work.
There is no such thing as perfection. Everything will have a flaw to it. If you started off something with the idea that it’s perfect, you will soon be disappointed. The best way is always to just start with an idea and perfect it along the way.
If I were too arrogant or lazy to make the change, I don’t think I will still be here writing.
3) Blogging is all about networking
If you want to blog about something but you don’t want anybody to read them, there is always an option to make it private. Or just write in a diary.
Blogging will be useless if you are all alone. Go out there, find new friends and network. That is the most basic foundation of blogging. Without it, a blog will be nothing more than just a paper with some noun and verb written on it.
4) Find the 200 from the 1000 visitors.
Now that you are out there networking. You should know that there are millions of blog readers everyday. There is absolutely nothing you can write that will appeal to all of them. Your mission should you choose to accept it, is to find the readers that will be interested to read what you wrote.
If you write about cars, don’t join a forum about relationship and promote your blog there. That will be a waste of time and energy. Strategize where is the best place to introduce your blog.
5) Be prepared for disagreement
People rejecting each other’s idea all the time. Of course there will be some group of readers who will hate what you write or at least disagree with it. Don’t be alarmed if suddenly there’s a comment which gives you 100 reasons why you should quit blogging.
Reacting to this positively is very hard to do. I know, I’ve been there. And as a human, it is very normal to feel down after a bash like that. What you have to do is to shake it off and take a step up. Try to find any positive side of the comment and work on that. At least, you should feel appreciated that there is one person who care enough about you and write an article with 100 points. 🙂
/end
Very basic, don’t you think? But as basic as they are, these are five of the most important lessons I learnt in blogging. Can you see the message hidden in them? Apply them in your life and you will be good to go.
– I wonder –
Do you have any other tips on blogging based on your personal experience?
————– Personal Note —————
BloggingTips.com is currently running a post asking their readers to give critiques on Lesson In Life. I invite you all to join the discussion there. If you have any comment on this blog in term of design, contents or anything under the sun. Post them there. You will stand a chance to win USD10 for the most helpful and constructive comment.
You can also post the comments here. 🙂
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I agree with you for the #5. Every people has different thoughts, sometimes people might reject what you have said.
In addition for the blogging tips.
6) Don’t ignore or delete negative comments
People drops negative comment on your blog, means that they are hoping that you still have the space for improving. I always take negative comment as my target to improve myself. People says your blog is lousy, they have their own reason, that’s why they say that, You should say “Can you tell me why you say so? I would like to improve myself with your comment. Thank You!” in return. =)
when i first started to blog it was merely to write my frustrations away, anonymously. I wasn’t looking to network nor was i looking for others to read or even comment on mine. Heck.. i even stopped for awhile as I felt that it was just a waste of time. But as time goes by, i started blogging again and now blogging has become a daily habitual, just like brushing ur teeth. Now i enjoy writing as much as i enjoy reading others writing even it is just crap which can actually makes me laugh. Free therapy there..
Although I have never met any of my blogger friends personally, I hope one day i will have the courage to do so.
Ur blog is one blog i never miss to read and comment and I have been your reader since immortal wisdom. Im always waiting eagerly for ur latest entry.
Hehehe.. sorry to dominate ur comment section with my story pulak.
Make Money Blogging – Good tips. Ignoring such comments doesn’t do much. And even if we just delete it, it will keep haunting us simply because as a blogger, we will try to make our blog as comfortable as possible. When someone is hating it, it will really bother us.
However, beware of a group of people known as trolls. These people only comment to start a fight without any reason. They will call names, attack you personally not the articles etc.
I’ve never encounter one. So far all my readers are exceptionally supportive. But I’ve seen them in a lot of other blogs, trying to get attention. The best way to handle these guys are just by denying them the attention they seek.
Hopefully I don’t need to resort to such action.
@k@kPOKPEK – You are among the few that has been with the blog since its infantcy. Thank you app for that.
And the fact that you contribute and share your own story to complement the articles is really appreciated. It’s because friends like you reading that I am more inspired to write. Never apologize for commenting here. Your stories have always been both entertaining and inspiring.
Meeting blogger friends personally should be done with extra cautious. Only meet those that you really know and trust. I have had the opportunity to meet fellow blogger in the Darul Izzah Orphanage Charity organized by Bro Idham. I’m still very new then but it was really exciting meeting them.
This is a helpful post. Thanks for all the great tips! I bookmarked this in delicious and stumble.
eheheh, i see where u getting at…
what about ‘Play Nice!’… now as we
dont want people to go on provoking
us, dont go making fun of others…
u banji, give tips on self improvement,
i tell over elaborated story from my memory.
some shows their beauty (Showing sexy pics all day long)
some nag about how’s life treating them badly,
and kept on nagging for more than 130 post!!
all and all, lets play nice, dont go to people’s
blog and drop un-improving comments…
its demotivating to the blog owner…
I’ve found it sometimes frustrating and other times depressing writing my blog for almost a year now. I think networking is really the key to being successful. I’ve met some really great people along the way.
A valuable tip I’ve learned recently is making your content count for each post. To write a post and not have much to say is as much a waste of time as having a whole lot of content that is full of grammar errors and misspelled words. So that’s one of the new focuses on my blog, to make each post better than before.
Also, time. Time is a huge factor.
Karen – Thank you for the bookmarking 🙂
DaPocket – Play nice is a very good advice to bloggers. Everyone has their own story to tell. The more the variety, the more option we will have.
There is no reason actually why we should treat others badly. If we don’t agree with a subject posted by a blogger, voice out your concern with manners. The world immediately become a better place with such attitude
Unfortunately, these kind of people who take pride in bashing others. I remember a case where a teenager committed suicide just because she was harassed by a myspace user. Why would people do such things.
Thanks for the add
Kyle – Making your content count for each post. Excellent. I couldn’t explain it better myself. Thanks for sharing.
I’m not that clear on that time factor though. Care to elaborate more on that?
remembered one more thing banji!!
u can always differentiate a loyal reader and a true commentator,
from a blog hopper, commenting just to show their link in your
comment column.
same with life, one friend gives u a good advice, another just wanted to give advice regardless of its content…
there’s also those who give advice with other intention at the back.
DaPocket – True, with time, we can easily differentiate those who are just there to self promote. Self promotion is actually one of the key factor in a blog’s growth. But doing it excessively without any effort to make a connection will eventually be considered as spamming.
That’s a very fine line to differentiate 🙂 Nice advice bro, both blogging’s and real world’s
Salam Bang Ji.
Lalu-lalang baca entri kat sini 🙂 Banyak info berguna ni.
Blogging just to share and discuss.
Got response = improvement!
I don’t care how people think of my blog, I just want to write whatever I want.
Banji, 1 more blogging tips here.
Don’t care about how people said, we’re just writing about what we want.
I do faced those problem like, people critic my blog and said :”such blog can’t alive want lar..”. But I don’t care and keep blogging about what I want. Because I know effort will always been awarded in the end. =)
I too agree with Make Money From Home (hmm.. tho’ i haven’t made a single sen from blogging yet).
Self satisfaction is more important. Just like your day job, you have to like what you do.
I have heard comments from non-bloggers who think us bloggers as time wasting people/people who has too much time in their hands. To me, it is all about passion.
I have also seen/read, a blogger who just loves to bash others in his blog as though he is the Almighty. I still read (but fear to leave comment) praying that one day he will realise what he is doing.
P/s Banji, is it OK to leave more than 1 comment and to comment others’ comments in your blog?? Sorry ek!
Puteri Ezza – Thank you for the lalu lalang 🙂 singgah lah lagi ye
Make Money From Home – In a way, that is true. We shouldn’t care about what people said. But as you have highlighted in your other comment, certain comments can help you move forward. We just need to learn how to relook at them
@k@kPOKPEK – Great point. I’ve seen too many bloggers in the end just stop blogging. It can be because of other things, but some stop blogging simply because they have lost their passion in it. We need to love what we do first, all other things will come into place as a bonus.
app, It’s always ok to leave more than 1 comment. Reading comments left by my friends are usually the high of my day. So please do.. I’m sure readers are benefitting from the comments just as much as from the content, if not more.
and this is my third:)
banji, what about those who copied your entry and paste it as his own?
i’ve never found any of those for me yet though,
but i do found others who were treated as such with their entry.
akak pokpek…
lets keep on commenting till he post another one 🙂
then this will be somewhat like a forum^^
DaPocket.. i so agree with you.. HAHAHA..
sorry Banji, we are not trying to dominate your blog for our own benefit (?).
But I keep coming back to read others’ comments till you post a new entry.
Oh boy, we could go on and on and on.. just like the Energizer bunny, don’t we?
Salam Banji,
Yea, we should look forward to certain so called “helpful” quality comments.
Example: Some people might comment like “I don’t like your blog because of…”, “I don’t like this because..I like this because…”.
But some people might comment like this, this is what we called “helpless” comments.
Example : “Your blog like sh*t”, “I hate your blog”, “Don’t blogging anymore or else you’ll hurt somebody!!”
They’re just want to bullshit and want you to stop blogging. This is why I said don’t care on how people comment on you.
That’s correct for what you said “We just need to learn how to relook at them”. Blogosphere is very big, someday we may receive comments like this.
Hope my opinion helps every blogger. =)
DaPocket – Unfortunately there are a few blogs that are copying my entries straight into their blogs. However, having the process automated, they even copied all the links etc. That is why I try to link my articles with my previous ones. At least they are giving me backlinks, and hopefully their readers will realize that that article originates here.
@k@kPOKPEK – I did say make yourself at home. So chat away.. I always enjoy reading them 🙂
In fact, I am honored to have you guys coming over checking up on me. I will try to return back to my original posting frequency.
Make Money Blogging – Agree, comments that are not constructive should be deleted. There’s no point of following up with something as such.
And yes, the time will come when we will face such comments. Hopefully we are given the strength to deal with them efficiently both in real life and emotionally.
[…] Applying Basic Blog Tips To Your Life […]
Hasidic Saying~ Everyone should carefully observe which way his heart draws him and then choose that way with all his strength.
These tips are worth trying. I think I’ll now be able to manage the 1st giveaway in my blog more skilfully and effectively.