LEARNING ON BLOGGING

You can never learn enough about ways to improve your blog or how to build traffic or even how to make the most out of your Google+ account. I learnt a few new things in the passed few months (those that my usually experimenting couldn't do for me. I have decided to share this knowledge incase you have been struggling and you don't know who to ask or how to go about the issues that bother you most. Here we go;

The first problem solution that came to me was how to moderate my comments so that the comments on my Google+  posts are also visible on my blog. +Joy Hancock from the blogging for bloggers blog  helped me with this. To do this, 

• Go to the left side blogger dashboard.
• Click on "Google+"
• Select or Click on the third option. Also select one or both of the first two options to share your posts to Google+. They are listed below for your benefit
• automatically share after posting?
• prompt to share after posting?
• use Google+ comment on this blog
• And you are done

The disadvantage is that all the communities you shared your posts to on Google+ appear on your blog as a comment, whether or not your post has been commented on. Clicking on the third option also means you may lose the ability to moderate comments on your blog.

Something else Joy taught me was where to get those cute "follow" and "share" buttons. Visit www.addthis.com to get yours now. A site to get free photos to like wikipedia or www.morguefile.com  also.

The second and third solutions came through the help of +Incredible Divya. They are "how to schedule your posts"; and "how to post to blogger tabs". The links to these solution are shared on the article "something new, something borrowed... and it's not about wedding". This is the blog to keep abreast with if you are a newbee and want to improve your blog.

What I learnt on Wednesday morning as I got ready for work was how to get your own domain name. It was gotten from a new member +Sierra Calah  to my Google+ community (Keep Blogging It). The post is featured on the "something new...." article with appropriate links.

It's Thursday today and I learnt how to add the bloglovin widget to my blog by +Laura Greenwood from the blogging from bloggers' blog (read to the end before you apply my method). I already knew the basic use of html on blogger. What I didn't know was how to get the widget. Even after I signed up for bloglovin. There was no "pop-ups" to add a widget to your site. I decided to search Google for "bloglovin widgets". I love short cuts! Lord have mercy! Of course, numerous answers showed up. I clicked on the most relevant one. A "pop-up" appeared asking me to type the name of related blog. I typed "blogging for bloggers". A list of sites came up in another "pop-up". I clicked on one and the usually HTML mumbo-jumbo appeared. I copied and paste in the HTML space in the layout of my blog as thoroughly described by Laura and voila! I have a bloglovin widget on my blog. Nope! I don't. I only succeeded in adding bloglovin widget to someone else's blog to my blog.

You know what they say "if you don't get it right, try, try again" and so I tried again. This time I went to the home page of bloglovin and logged in. Here are the steps I took;

• Join and Login to bloglovin
• On the top right hand side of the page, place your mouse over your profile photo
• Select "your profile"
• Edit your profile
• Click on "add blog" and Add your blog's URL on the space provided
• A new page appears when your blog has been found  
• Select "claim blog"
• Type in your blog's URL again on the pop-up window
• A new window appears telling you to publish a new post with the code provided
• Copy the code, go to blogger dashboard, new post, paste and publish - this enables bloglovin to link to your blog
• Go to your photo again and select "bloglovin button"
• Select the widget type you like and that best fits into your blog and click on "get thus icon"
• Click on "Add widget" on the pop-up window that appears.
• Another window opens again with the usual safety warning. The heading "add page element". Click on "add widget"
• It immediately takes you to your blogger dashboard - layout
• Save arrangement and view your blog.

A thorough description of the "HTML" process by Laura is featured on the "something new....."article.

It's Friday today and I didn't learn anything new but somethings I've learnt over time has been in my subconscious mind. It occurred to me today and I decided to add it to the post.

1. You don't have to publish something everyday to build traffic unless of course your blog is a daily blog, news or entertainment blog. Even at that you can choose to have a day off, I chose Sunday. Believe me, I tried it once, for a couple of weeks and it was very hectic. I even tried posting 2 new posts everyday but that was because I added a "daily experiences" section to my blog. Of course, I learnt the "difficult" way. Just post regularly. I have decided upon 4 main posts for 4 days a week because I write on a variety of subjects and each day has its post. If I miss a day for some reason, well I guess I'll let it slide. Also if something happens that needs to go on the daily experiences, then I post more than 4. Basically it's all about doing what works best for you.
2. Schedule a timing for your posting. Note when you have the most traffic and post at that time. I used to post my blogs at anytime. As soon as I completed my work on an article, bam! it gets posted. Now I can work on many articles and schedule them for posting according. Scheduling reduces the pressure of a deadline and the fear of not posting and losing traffic when you may be out of touch.
3. Don't bug your head with thoughts of "no adverts" yet. They'll come, just write great content and build your readership and traffic. Loyal readers are the people who keep coming back to your blog. They aren't coming back to see your ads, no reader does. The ads are on almost every website.
4. Do you know about the usefulness of the 2 L's yet? (Label and Link). Label your blog article according to what categories they belong. Also, add links to refer readers to previous blog articles. They both help readers navigate your blog easily.
5. Read in a blog that we need to back-up our blog incase it is hacked. Yet to learn the process of it exactly. When I do, I'll definitely hit you up with the info.

I'll stop here for now, but I will  be bringing you more information on blogging as soon as I get them. In the mean time though, check out either or all of the blogs listed above for a guide to proper blogging. Didn't have all the info when I started, wish that I did. To know all about my blogging experience so far, click on the link. Blogging is definitely not for the weak and feeble hearted, that I also learned.

Cheers.....