Writing 12 in 12: July 2014

Don't stray off topic. This is a blog about writing. If I wanted to write about fluffy kitties and rainbows I would share that information on a different blog. You want your peers to share your thoughts not get confused by them.

New readers are hard to attract. What you want is to keep your readers loyal. Keep them hungry and keep them coming back for more.

Write well, write often and write what you know. Be your own expert but don't sound like a douche.

Including links to your old pages will help garner more page views and drive up traffic. Since you're here, check out the very first edition of Writing 12 in 12 to see why I started this particular blog.

Always keep things updated. You may come across new information and be able to re-post an old blog to a new audience.

New visitors will be able to read through your most popular material quickly and get hooked on the awesomeness that is you. Mine is at the bottom of my page. Enjoy!

In order to get people to read your blog, they first need to be able to find your blog. Use keywords in your title, subheads and text. I'm pretty notorious for not doing that, but if you want to be better than me, try being direct in your titles. If you're writing about about your latest gardening failure, put that in your title. Don't say, "Slugs Abound!" say something more like, "Gardening Fail in Local Neighborhood: Famine for Family of Five". Okay, maybe not that dramatic, but now you see why I'm writer. Adding images to your posts is another great way to increase SEO's. People searching for images are likely to "StumbleUpon" your blog.

Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Reddit, StumbleUpon, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram are your friends, as well as numerous others that are more specialized and tailored to your special interests. Get active. Get social. Share and share alike. Learn how to use hashtags in social media. Jump into conversations relevant to your blogs and don't be afraid to post to different sites. Just make sure your blogs are actually contributing material to their sites otherwise you'll come across as spammy and no one likes spam, unless there's a natural disaster. (Those are are links to sign up for service - not shameless self promotion)

Google Analytics is free. It shows you your audience source, time spent on your blog, number of new visitors and total page visits.

Use your own images or borrow other's legally. You can search to be sure your images are not being 'borrowed' without permission and if they are ask for a link back to your blog.
Here's a picture of my dog to tide you over.
Sancho the Dog
Picture by Laura Romero

If you get the chance to, accept the opportunity to be a guest blogger on someone else's site. Likewise, let someone guest blog on yours.

Update your look often. Always look for ways to make your blog more user friendly. Use eye pleasing colors, easy to navigate pages, make links easy to follow, include a comment section and a way for readers to subscribe and share your blog.

When people comment, comment back. Answer thoughtful questions with thoughtful answers and encourage discussions.

I'm silly and goofy with a sense of humor that only those closest to me truly appreciate. Mostly my kids. It has taken a long time to find my groove and it that's just fine. No one says you have to be perfect right out of the starting gate. Have fun, be yourself and enjoy your time writing. It will show.

Writing 12 in 12