Endless Bliss | Happy Lifestyle Blog: 5 Uncommon Tips for Bloggers.

5 Uncommon Tips for Bloggers.

If you've thought about starting a blog or if you've just started blogging, then I'm sure you've done quite a bit of research for tips and tricks. There are so many blog posts from experienced bloggers who've been in the game for quite some time. While I'm currently only working on year two of blogging, I still think I have some insight about small tips to make your blog successful. No two blogs are the same and things that work for some may not work for others, so you can take my tips with a grain of salt, but these are a few things that I think are important to consider when you're thinking about getting serious about blogging. They're easy to implement, but make such a huge impact. 

MAKE YOUR EMAIL COPY AND PASTABLE
Nothing is more annoying than when I go to someone's blog and their email is written like this: email{at}gmail{dot}com. It's inconvenient for people who are trying to contact you. You are causing them to take an extra step, and some people may not want to do that when they see your email address written like that. Not only are they having to copy and paste, they have to delete the {at} and the {dot} and replace them with the correct symbols. Some may not think it's a big deal, but others may choose not to email you at all. I know I've done that in the past. This is something that I've never done and something that I've never understood. I don't think it makes your email address look any cuter. It's just an email address.

EDIT: My friend, Dee informed me that writing your email address as I disguised above helps to prevent spam, so if you're worried about spam, then do what you do. I haven't much had a problem with spam, so I just keep my email as is.

PUT YOUR BLOG URL ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS
When someone I don't know follows me on Twitter, I usually visit their Twitter profile to see if a) it's someone I know or b) a blogger who I don't know but would like to read more. I've had cases where bloggers have followed me, but I didn't know they were bloggers because they didn't put their blog URL on their Twitter profile. I understand if you want to keep your blog separate from your real life, but if that's the case, then you should either create a separate Twitter account for your blog or not advertise your Twitter on your blog page. 

When it comes to Facebook, you want to give your users easy access to your blog. Including your blog URL in your short description will give your followers and potential followers a super easy way to find your blog rather than having to click through to your general information page.

If you use Instagram for your blog, I highly recommend putting your blog URL in your profile description. Instagram doesn't allow you to post clickable links in comments, so it's almost pointless to share URLs on your picture descriptions. Instead, you can say "link in bio," which will direct people to your personal Instagram profile with your blog's URL.

PUT YOUR BLOG URL ON DISQUS
Ever since I installed Disqus for my blog comments, I swear by it. It was pretty easy for me to switch my comments over and import past comments. I recommend getting Disqus for your blog comments because several bloggers are no-reply bloggers. There are many different avenues to start a blog, and not everyone will have a Google profile in which they know how to not be a no-reply blogger. Having Disqus ensures that anyone who comments on your blog will be able to get a reply because when you reply to it, it automatically goes to their email. With Blogger, if you reply directly in the comment section under your post, that person won't receive a reply email and most people won't check back to see if you've replied. You have to reply by email, and not everyone has that set up correctly.

With Disqus, if you have a blog, you should spend some time updating your Disqus profile and including your blog URL, even if you don't use Disqus for comments on your own blog. If I have time, I like to visit bloggers who have commented on my posts and return the favor. If you don't have a blog URL on your profile, then I won't be able to do that. As much as I'm grateful for the comment, which I will reply to because I reply to all of my comments, I won't take the time to go on a search for your blog, and most others won't either.

POST AT THE SAME TIME EVERY DAY
I don't mean that you should post every day at the same time, but on the days that you do post, you should try to post at the same time consistently. If you post at the same time, your readers will know when to expect to see your post up. It will be easier for them to come back to your blog and know whether or not you plan on posting on that particular day. When I first started blogging, I would post sporadically whenever I wanted, mostly to get more posts up so people wouldn't see me as a newbie blogger anymore, but what a noob move. Now, I post consistently at 8 am CDT on the days that I plan on posting, and I've found that my posts have gotten much more success (and engagement) than when I posted at random times throughout the day. There are, of course, exceptions to every rule, such as major news that's come out and you want to join in on all of the malark by posting on your blog about the subject, in which case, it's good to get your blog in on the mix. For the most part, though, I would recommend posting at the same time. 

IF YOU READ SOMEONE'S POST, COMMENT ON IT
If you're ever browsing through your stats and you notice that a post has a large amount of visits but no comments, doesn't it make you wonder and wish that the amount of comments reflected the amount of views? If I ever read a blog post, I make sure that I comment on it if I have something meaningful to say. I want that blogger to know that I took the time out of my day to read their post and that it impacted me in some way, shape or form. I don't bother with the "nice post" or "thanks for sharing" comments because I know when I get those kinds of comments, I can safely assume that that person didn't take the time out to actually read my post. In my opinion, if you read someone's post and you liked it, you should comment on it and let them know why. Trust me when I say, comments make bloggers happy!

What are some of the best blogging tips you've heard?

67 comments :

  1. I do the {at} {dot} thing for my email to prevent spam, actually. I do understand that it is kinda annoying though, so I will have to do more research on whether it really does prevent spam!

    And yes, I totally swear by Disqus!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ah, here it is: http://www.techsoup.org/support/articles-and-how-tos/things-you-can-do-to-prevent-spam

    ReplyDelete
  3. great tips. Now I need to go check my DISQUS

    ReplyDelete
  4. I didn't know about the spam thing! Thanks for shedding some light on that! It definitely makes sense now.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I cannot stand when bloggers use their email written out with the {at} and such. I rarely get spam! Also, great tip on commenting! I have been working really hard on commenting on blogs this summer and it definitely pays off!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Nice post, thanks for sharing haha. This is a great post, I agree on everything, I really like the tip "post at the same time" I definitely don't do that. Haha.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Love reading advice from bloggers - I think you are completely right about the the "same time every day" need to get better at that!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. These are great tips!! Thanks!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I thought YES to adding your url to disqus. I get rather irritated when I go to look at a commenter's blog when they aren't there. But then I discovered just now I don't even have the url on MY disqus! Oops. I 100% agree with all these tips.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Great tips! I love Disqus and agree the email at whatever dot com is beyond annoying to me!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Comments do make bloggers happy! I enjoy seeing a new comment in my inbox from Disqus and it is easy to visit a readers blog when their Disqus profile is up to date. I have had my email with the at and dot in it to prevent spam, but I had no clue it would be annoying, but I also have the option to use a contact form which goes straight to the same email.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I definitely agree with the email thing. I usually make my email clickable so it will take them to their mail service, so much more helpful! I also agree with having the URL on social media because some times I feel bad when someone says they followed me and I had no idea they were a blogger. Plus, it's just great exposure!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Great tips! I need to update my email thing. I only have the link but I need to update it to be more fancy and cute.

    ReplyDelete
  14. The last tip is definitely the best! Through joining the Her Campus Blogger Network and Blog Life Chose Me, I learned the importance of commenting on other blogs. It not only helps bring traffic to your own site but is also a lot of fun!

    ReplyDelete
  15. These are great tips!! I need to get better at posting at the same time!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I've found for me it's difficult to post at the same time sometimes. Sometimes, I'm so excited to publish that I just send it out at whatever time I finish. :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thank you! These are just things that have worked for me.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Yes! That was something I learned after joining HCBN too. It definitely makes a huge difference!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thank you! I hope you found them beneficial!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Yes! You made some excellent points here. I think it's so important to have your URLs on your social media. It makes a huge difference.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I don't know what I did before Disqus. I can't imagine having any other comment platform now.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I think that these are great tips for new bloggers or great reminders for veteran bloggers. Thanks for such a good post!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Comments always make me smile! I love getting them, as do all bloggers. The email thing is more of an inconvenience than anything. It's just a few extra steps, but sometimes, I hate taking those extra steps. Mostly cause I'm lazy. Haha.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Thank you! Disqus changed my life after I got it. It makes a huge difference. And I definitely hate seeing the email written like that!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Haha noooo. I didn't notice that your URL wasn't on your Disqus. Guess cause I have your URL memorized. Ha.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Thank you! I'm glad you found them helpful.

    ReplyDelete
  27. It took me awhile to get better at the posting time. I used to just post when I was done writing a post. Now, I just wait to post it at the same time every day. It's made a huge difference!

    ReplyDelete
  28. It took me forever to realize that posting at the same time makes a difference. It's something I learned from a thread in the Her Campus Blogger Network. It's helped a lot since I started.

    ReplyDelete
  29. I don't like when bloggers write their email either. It bugs me so much! Spam has never been an issue for me with it written like that. I've been trying to comment more on other blogs as well. Some days it's hard to fit that in schedule.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Me too! I can't imagine having any other comment platform now.

    ReplyDelete
  31. These are some great tips; however, that being said, I can't say I'm a big fan of Disqus. I dislike any app that wants to mess with my other accounts, especially when it wants to change my profile and post on my behalf.

    ReplyDelete
  32. LOVE these tips! I especially love the first one about the email address. I know people claim it increases their spam to write it out fully but that's thinking about yourself rather than your readers. If it's THAT big of a problem then remove the email address and opt for a contact form instead.

    ReplyDelete
  33. I used to be that way too! Now, I just schedule my posts for the next day. When I sit down to blog, I usually write several posts and schedule them for later. That way if I get busy, I still have a few blog posts already scheduled.

    ReplyDelete
  34. I've never had a problem with Disqus and have found that it's a much more convenient way to communicate with other bloggers since I'm actually able to reply to every comment that comes my way. I've never had a problem with Disqus messing with my other accounts, so I'm not sure what you're referring to.

    ReplyDelete
  35. That's a great idea actually! I never thought about including a contact form. It's so true that the person is thinking about themselves rather than their readers, and that's definitely not okay. I've never had a problem with spam coming through because of having my email address like that.

    ReplyDelete
  36. I've never had a problem either and it's an excuse. It's simple to scan for an email even if it's typed out all wonky, a bot can find it in the site code or registration. It just makes it complicated for users and readers.

    ReplyDelete
  37. When I try to post a comment on someone's site that uses Disqus and I want to do it through, say Twitter, it says the app can change my profile and post tweets to my account. I'm not OK with that.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Really good tips and definitely far from the common ones you read! I never even considered posting at the same time for every post written! Such a good tip and definitely one that I'm planning on using! I've also wanted to make a switch to Disqus because I've heard such great things about it! Is it easy to make the switch over?

    ReplyDelete
  39. I love this post! I'm definitely trying to get more serious about blogging, and all help
    Is appreciated. I've considered using disqus, so now I'm probably going to. Thank you!

    Xo,
    Zoe
    Lavieenzoe.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  40. Thanks for these tips. The first one was very useful!

    Michelle xo

    THEMDNBLOG.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  41. I love these! I have defiantly established a time to blog everyday!


    xoxo
    Brooke


    inaworldofbees.com

    ReplyDelete
  42. Great tips!! You are so right about the email thing!

    ReplyDelete
  43. So glad that you found these tips helpful! I thought my switch over to Disqus was really simple, and they had my comments imported in a matter of hours. I've heard some people have trouble with it, but I think the majority of people have had smooth transitions. The important thing is to read through and follow all of the steps, and it should be relatively simple!

    ReplyDelete
  44. I'm glad you found these tips helpful! I am a huge advocate for Disqus. I love it much more than the typical comment platform that comes with Blogger.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Thank you! I'm glad you found it helpful!

    ReplyDelete
  46. I'm glad you found these tips helpful!

    ReplyDelete
  47. Great tips! I just realized I hadn't put my link in my Twitter and immediately went to change it!

    ReplyDelete
  48. Interesting and valuable tips - thanks for this! :) I'm totally with you on the commenting as you can see haha. As for number 1 though, I hate spam and prevent it at all costs. The best solution in my opinion is an embedded contact form!

    ReplyDelete
  49. I agree with the contact form if you get a lot of spam! I'm lucky enough to get very little spam to my inbox (most of it is automatically sent to my spam), so I haven't had to worry much about that. I'm glad you found these tips helpful!

    ReplyDelete
  50. I'm trying to post daily but I've never really thought about how the specific timing of when I post matters as well - it makes sense though!

    ReplyDelete
  51. Hmm..I've never had that happen to me before. I haven't logged into my Disqus account for awhile, so I don't even know whether or not my Twitter is associated with my account or not. I definitely wouldn't want all my comments posted to Twitter though!

    ReplyDelete
  52. For me, it's just easier to post at the same time each day. I don't necessarily post every day (I avoid weekends, and sometimes only post a couple times a week rather than every day M-F), but when I do post it's just convenient for me to do it at the same time every day.

    ReplyDelete
  53. I'm happy you think so, and I hope you find them helpful in your blogging endeavors!

    ReplyDelete
  54. I had a blogger show me the world of passion fruit ads and I am forever changed! Also finally becoming a response blogger has been life changing for my blog :D
    www.myfairdaily.com

    ReplyDelete
  55. I had Passionfruit when it was free, and I switched to Adproval since it's a free option for hosting ads. I do have plans to switch back though when my wallet and I start getting along more. It's such an easy platform to use.

    ReplyDelete
  56. I am noticing that myself! I am opting for the cheaper $3 option now and if the need arises I will switch over to the $9 option when I get bigger.

    ReplyDelete
  57. I am going to have to look into disqus. I haven't ever thought of importing that into my blog. Thank you for recommending checking your Disqus settings. I never had my blog on there...until now!

    ReplyDelete
  58. I love Disqus! It just makes it so much easier to reply to every single comment. I'm glad you found this post helpful! :D

    ReplyDelete
  59. Such great tips. I prefer Disqus as well. It's so much easier to keep up with follow-ups to comments. :)

    ReplyDelete
  60. I'm glad you found them helpful! Putting your blog link on your Twitter will definitely make a difference!

    ReplyDelete

09 10