Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Building a Better Blog

Beetnik Mama at Songs About Beets recently hit me up for my blog-building secrets.

Actually, I get quite a few emails from frustrated bloggers who haven’t been able to generate a large readership, even though they feel like they’re working very hard, writing interesting content and doing all the right things to promote their blogs.

I started to do a silly post with nonsensical advice on getting new followers…
  • Institute “Cash for Comments” program

  • Live weigh-in cam

  • Somehow work it out so that when people Google “weight loss”, your site pops up first
But I get enough emails from folks who are genuinely interested in the subject and figure that I’ve somehow cracked the code. I don’t know how much more I know than you, but I’m willing to share what I’ve learned…

It all starts with comments. Just like I tell people that they can lose weight by eating less and exercising more, I firmly believe you can build a blog audience by making insightful, clever and/or thought-provoking comments on other blogs. Most people find interesting blogs by backtracking from interesting comments. (Hint: you can start by leaving a comment here today…)

It takes commitment. I’ve posted something new or semi-new every day for the past year. You don’t necessarily have to go to that extreme, but you do need to make certain that you keep things fresh on your space.

Writing counts. After I write a post, I always spend some time looking at the words and phrases and seeing if I can make any of them more interesting. Simply replacing the word “said” with “squawked” or “mumbled” or “groaned” makes a sentence more entertaining to me. I also see if I can say whatever I’m trying to say in a more concise way. Keeping things short and sweet shows consideration for your readers.

It’s not always about you. If you’re trying to build a readership, then occasionally write something that your readers can apply to their own journey. Sometimes it’s as simple as changing the point of view from “I” to “you”.

A picture’s worth a 1,000 views. Blogs that contain nothing but unbroken lines of text can be difficult to read. Think about including images, bullet points, interactive elements, multimedia content or anything else that can spice things up. And putting your face on your blog helps readers connect with you in a real and significant way.

Make a good first impression. It took me a bit to understand that titles can have a huge impact on people actually clicking on your blog. This is your opportunity to draw readers in. Remember, you may not get another opportunity…

Build a brand. Just like a product, your blog is a brand and you want people to connect to it. Keep in mind that today’s post may be the first time somebody is reading your work. For instance, whenever I work in my daughter Pisa, I always preface her name with “my daughter” for those people who have so idea who Pisa Sh*t is. Inside jokes, references to older posts and other shows of exclusivity can put off new readers, but they help build continuity and make loyal readers feel more connected to you. If you're building a new blog, or just trying to build up your traffic, it’s a good idea to write down the attributes of your personal brand… those things you’re trying to get across… and keep them in mind as you write.

Remember, building up your blog is all about providing value to your readers. Give them something that can entertain them, that can inform them, that can assist them in their journey, and it’s more likely that they’ll come back for more.

Got any other blog-building tips?
I'd love to hear what's worked for you...




74 comments:

  1. This is witty and fresh. This is witty and fresh. This is witty and fresh. (Let's look into subliminal messaging, too?)

    Actually, I really like my ghost commenter idea. Maybe you could add comment consultations to your list of talents, Mr. JS?

    Thanks for all the info. You've been a huge help. Songs About Beets may have to expense a nice big cup of coffee for you.

    Tracie

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  2. Yep! It's about building relationships, and being who you are and remembering, it's not always about just you! Great advice for everyday living...not just blogging!

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  3. While I agree with most of this, for me, blogging is more personal than that. I started to find my own motivation and accountability on my weight loss journey. I love, love having readers and comments and the support and inspiration they bring. But I don't write post to build readership. I write what I need or want to write. That sure sounds selfish now that I see it there. I DO care a lot about my readers, but I know that my blog's main purpose is to help me. If I do that, maybe I can help someone else in the process.

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  4. Do you have any tips for the disfunctional blogger?? One who wants to be looked at but not seen??

    wants to be heard but not speak??

    or how about wants to write but has nothing to say??

    ooo ooo i know, i know!! One who hasn't a clue about how to work half the fuctions on thier blog including something as simple as resizing a picture to add it!! lol..

    Scary how disfunctional i am.. lol

    o wait!! It's not about me?? dang it!! i just keep missing the boat.. sigh..

    just kidding!! As always Jack ty for the post that inspires thought. never really gave much thought about a direction for or what could be gotten OUT of a blog. I think i'm gonna give this some serious thought today.

    Enjoy your day!!

    Trina~

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  5. On the money as always Jack, thank you.

    I have gone from 4 followers to 144 followers in 2 months thanks to simple tips like these.

    Shame I cannot lose weight as diligently as I blog!

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  6. Great post Jack.. THX! Patience too... I was so frustrated at first but little by little, my readership is getting larger. I may never be you or MizFit but at least people are reaidng! :-)

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  7. I had to stop caring whether or not I had followers because I didn't originally start to get any. Then I got a few and then I noticed that people who had been on blogger way less than me had a lot more! And I was doing the commenting thing, etc.! I started feeling like "I" wasn't enough. I even wiped out my first blog altogether. When I came back, I was at the point where I needed to have a place to put my random thoughts. I have no where else I can express myself about certain things and especially not about my weight and my journey to rid myself of it. So second time around was for me. I love my followers and the encouragement they give me but you know, there are several blogs I follow who do not follow me back and that's OK. In some cases (like mine), it just can't be about the readership or the money you might earn.

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  8. Very interesting info. It's awesome and weird to me how some people get to experience things and even making a living because of their blogs. I do not think I could make that commitment though, as other people said, to me it's a little more personal than that. Or at least I try.
    I'm not an exceptional writer, especially because English is not my first language. I mean, I know enough of it, but sometimes it's hard to express myself. So I try to make it up with pretty pictures ahaha :x

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  9. I think I apply most of what you say, with one exception: I send mixed messages because although I started out wanting to blog about weight and my experiences with the gastric band, I migrated into other aspects of my life which I hoped and thought would also be interesting. It's now a mixture of the two, and I imagine that readers looking for weightloss inspiration would not feel they were getting good value.
    I think yours works so well because of your sheer exuberance and sense of humour.
    Caroline

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  10. I agree with Helen, Jack. I don't write my blog for the readers as much as I write it for me and allow other people to be able to read it. Don't get me wrong, I love the followers and readers and comments, but in the end, it really is more for me (at this point in time) to be able to look back and see "okay this is what I did right/wrong" or see where I fell and what made me get up...or if I staggered and kept going. Of course this is probably all relative to the amount of time I can commit to blogging right now...which is slim to none. When I was able to write more (and quite insightful stuff too might I add)... I did feel disappointed that people were missing my magnificence...LOL. Thanks for the tips...Hopefully I'll be able to institute them in the future.

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  11. I'm planning at coming up first on the google search for weight loss.

    I was also thinking of promoting my blog via skywriting. I wanted to do it in cursive (since it would be easiest for the pilot to write), but I eventually decided to have them do it in mathematics, since it's the universal language.

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  12. Good suggestions, Jack. I wish I could insert a photo in this comment...it would be me with a puzzled expression. I haven't had a Jack comment in months, but it's okay. Honestly I've come to accept that everyone can't be a superstar, and I trust the universe to give me what I'm supposed to have for my continued care and feeding! It's easy to say I'm doing this for myself, which I am; but the acknowledgement from others is wonderful and helpful. My weight loss has stalled, though my brilliant humor and writing continue to dazzle at least me!

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  13. As a newbie this post is extremely helpful...I'm going to try this out and see if I can get my first comment

    Thanks!

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  14. I actually agree that blogs are best written for the benefit of the person doing the writing. And I realize that not everyone cares if a large group of people are reading their work.

    However, I get quite a few emails asking about the subject. Few if any of us are ever going to make any $$$ blogging, but there is a certain satisfaction with building a readership.

    And if you're not trying to build a readership at all, why aren't you just writing in a Word document?

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  15. I don't have a huge readership, but the ones I have are because I take the time to develop relationships with my readers. Commenting back on their comments, letting them know that they have become a part of the discussion.

    I think the reason I have such a diverse audience is because I talk about diverse topics. I just recently started working out. Like hard core. And what did I do? Start visiting weight loss and work out blogs. And started commenting. A whole new set of blogs to read and audiences to talk with. Fun!

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  16. Actually, Jack, writing in a word document is a very good idea and one I've thought of many times - and one I may in fact do one day. For me blogging gives me the relief of a big long scream, without anyone I know actually having to hear me. If I wrote in a word doc right now, my husband would probably find it, critique it and piss me off. So that's why. At least for now.

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  17. Those are all great, but I come back to your blog for your "song rewrites." LOL

    - Lisa

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  18. I think in many ways blogging is like losing weight. I will admit that I know many of the things I have to do to make my blog better and gain readership.

    I know I need to add more pictures, but the computer where I stored my pictures was in the basement and I found it so much work to go down there every time I wanted to update my blog. (I have just started using my laptop for pictures instead.)

    I know I should get some sidebars, and put up a blog roll. Some before pictures and progress pictures. I need a banner. Again, I don't know how, but I'm not stupid. I am sure a tiny bit of googling and I could learn how to do these things.

    Not so different then weight loss. How often do we put these self imposed obstacles in front of us?

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  19. This post is a perfect example of why your blog works so well -- insightfulness and humor -- a winning combo!

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  20. good tips Jack- I think when people see dedication word spreads. kinda like that rash that's going around the blog world...lol :)

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  21. I have been one of those people who bug you about things, but you always seem to have an answer. I started writing about me and I thought that would be enough, but in the past year I have found that the rapport I have with those in my digital world matter to me a great deal. I have met many wonderful friends, so in that way I have succeeded.

    I know I want to push my blog further and really become an inspiration to others. That is one of the reasons I auditioned for the Biggest Loser. I want to one day inspire other directly. The relationships we build pave the way to success.

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  22. Jack, thanks for the tips. I try to keep my audience in mind when I write each post. I like the give and take between me and my regular blogging buddies. It's cool when we connect and kind of get what each other is all about through blogging. Then it becomes easy to write each post. It's almost natural.

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  23. I think Jack, that you nailed it well here. I love that you have a huge audience, because it means that you will stick around. You are faithful to us.

    I may not personally want or need the audience that you have - but I'm so glad that you do. And you do deserve it. Because you do offer something witty and fresh everyday, even Same old sh!t Saturdays.

    You made a really good point about inside jokes, and consciously being aware that each post may be someone's first. Thanks, i needed that!

    Great post, as always, Mr. Sh*t !!

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  24. Great post, Jack. I, too, have fielded a few of these questions lately, and apparently great (or totally absurd) minds think alike.

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  25. Live weigh-in cam? Hmm...maybe I could get someone to follow me into my next WW meeting with a camera.

    "Alex is signing in...She's stepping on the scale...The receptionist is ever-so-slowly placing the sticker in Alex's book...Alex is sitting down, keeping us in suspense before she opens the book...Alex has reached her 10% goal!" *cheers*

    Well, maybe not.

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  26. These are great tips. I agree that commenting on other blogs is the key to getting people to come check yours out - but I don't advocate the whole blog pitch. You know, the generic "hey, come check out my blog" when it's obvious they haven't read one word about your post. I hate that. Read the post, comment on the post and if I'm interested, I will find your blog. It's pretty easy.

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  27. You are awesome! I've been keeping up with your blog for about a month now and have even linked some of your writing on my blog and people love it! Some people take this weight loss journey as so heart wrenching and serious, but you have to have some fun in it too, which you have nailed doing!

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  28. Thank you for this! I'm trying to build my blog and honestly I suck at it. I'm at 36 followers and I have a lot of things I want to share and I think I have a lot of posts that are thought provoking- but then I get lost in the personal side of it and meh. I don't want to be that person.

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  29. great advice! and clearly you know what you are doing cuz you've got tons of followers!

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  30. I wish the pictures were easier to post!! If they were my blog would be COVERED!!!

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  31. Somewhat new reader here, first comment ;)

    Thanks for the blogging tips, I've just started my own weight-loss blog and I spent a few weeks getting everything setup before even trying to write anything. I think connecting to your audience is a big part of your success. Keep up the good work!

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  32. i just started my blog, hoping to just find a band of like minded buddies with similar goals and dreams. i'm not ready to let my husband and friends read my blog yet let alone worrying about building a big readership, but you have a lot of great tips there!

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  33. It all starts with comments - this was totally rocket science to me. I had some odd formula in my head of "blog + something = readers" (sorta like underpants + something = profit) but didn't understand HOW people would find my blog. Amazing what happens when you reach out and contribute... ;)

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  34. You also need to have something to write that other people will find worth reading. No one is going to read a blog that is simply your mundane observations about what time you drink your coffee in the morning. At the same time, everything you write should be true. Don't make stuff up and try to pass it off as real.

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  35. Totally off topic...

    I would still so let you get to third base in those sexy robes!

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  36. See- that is just the kind of sh*t I am talking about... 37 comments already. I would be lucky to get 3 comments.... and you posted this like an hour ago!!

    Thanks for the tips Jack!!

    WeighDownSouth.com

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  37. Thanks for the great tips! :)

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  38. 'live weigh in cam' lol. I love reading your blog because you always bring wit and humour and somthing to think about.

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  39. Hi Jack. Being a car crash also seems to help.

    Bearfriend xx

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  40. I am a live action trainwreck. REally. Oh, and I'm crazy.

    Apparently that makes for a very entertaining read. When I add in weight loss it's like watching one of those plate spinners.

    At the local junior college.

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  41. This is funny...it's when I stopped worrying about how many followers that I had, that they came, lol. Seriously. If you're being your true self....typing your words the way you talk out loud...be yourself, and be HONEST and realize that none of us have our own unique set of problems...if you've got them, someone else does too....that helps people connect to you. I remember when I stopped worrying about the # of followers I had like 43 I think. The next time I remembered to check the count it was like 150, lol. Weird...but cool. :)

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  42. I love the tips great for those of us starting out.

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  43. I find that posting naked pictures of my animals works well. The bestiality crowd comes a runnin'.

    Seriously, great advice.

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  44. I have to admit that I would rather have loyal readers than lots of readers!

    Life gets tough, and if it's a choice between a healthy meal and a blog post, almost everyone goes for the food (after all, it tastes better). The loyal readers are the ones that will be there when you come back after a few days, which are so much more valuable to me than the *cool* people who make my Google Analytics charts look like a two-year old drew them.

    Great thought-provoking post! :)

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  45. Wow, I just broke every rule on your list.

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  46. Years ago, while married to my first wife, I read in a Richard Simmon's diet book that diets don't work. Having lived all my life with people constantly trying new diets and desperate to lose weight I'd have to say that this adage is often true, they do not work The reason they don't work is that, for many, food is like an addiction to them. As soon as they say they are going on a diet the brain immediately wants to eat a lot. I know this is true, believe me. A couple of weeks ago my wife and daughter came home from a church musical they had attended. One of the things that came to light from the conversation was my wife telling me that she and our daughter were going to go on a diet. Have no clue where that thought came from but I, being a good husband who'd like to live, just nodded in agreement. Since that day I have seen my daughter eat constantly. A little here, a little there, but constant. She is not going to lose weight like that!Dieting along is not going to help my daughter, nor anyone else. They need to have a little help from weight loss products. You cannot generally say "I'm going to lose weight" and have it happen. Your body is too used to having that food. It's like smokers trying to quit cold turkey. For the vast majority it just doesn't work. They need a little help to wean them off that desire to smoke. Dieters need help to wean them off their constant desire to eat.

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  47. AWESOME tips! My biggest reason for starting my blog was to hopefully inspire people, motivate and show that loosing weight can be done! I love knowing that people are reading me and following me that alone is motivation, I hope that I can inspire people as a young mom of 3 kids who has lost over 100 pounds with hard work and exercise :) Thanks for sharing your tips.

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  48. Something insightful.

    Aww yeah, I know you all want to check out my blogs now. Haha. You know, I have three different blogs (and I appreciate how nice you are to follow all of them) but I've noticed that I really don't care that much about getting a bunch of followers. Maybe it's because I know I'm not a good writer so I don't expect to get them. Or maybe it's because I'm lazy and only update when I really have something to share. Either way, I mostly like to read blogs, and occasionally write a few myself. If people want to read, all the better. :)

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  49. Lots to think about. I am new to this game, and write FAR TOO MUCH.

    Very helpful. Thanks.

    (See, I can do concise.)

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  50. I think it's about voice, too. You definitely have a voice, a unique way of writing that people like. That can be the hardest thing to cultivate, but what will ultimately get you a loyal following.
    I would also think that content has to be interesting. Some people use their blog as a personal journal, talking about how they put the dog out in the morning, how bad the traffic was on the way to work, how their mother keeps popping in unannounced. That's fine, but if you want to build a readership, you have to spend some time thinking about what others would be interested in reading.

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  51. Crazy. I was just researching this whole idea of attracting readers today and someone (who doesn't even know I blog) recommended your blog to me today. Pure awesomeness. An answer to my question and a new blog worth following!

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  52. I like blogging and I like your blog Jack Sh*t! I do it for me and my followers, I'll admit I love the comments and the new connections I've made that are a bit deeper than the blogosphere. I think its wonderful that there are so many views on the yopic!

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  53. I totally agree with your points! I must say that my most comments came when I was actually losing weight, obviously now that I'm maintaining I must be a bit more boring!! I have had over 57,000 page hits and am proud that even though my readers are being a bit quiet, I think they are still reading. After all though, the blog is my outlet so I guess it doesn't really matter if I have readers or not. Its just a bit rubbish if I ask a question and it is left unanswered!

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  54. How about the Comments for Cookies program? Everytime someone comments on MY blog, JACK has to eat a cookie.

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  55. Oh, I'm happy if anybody looks at my blog. Just the thought that they might look is enough to guilt me into exercising, which is the reason I started the blog.
    One way to become a successful blogger is to be easily pleased :)

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  56. Great tips! My blog is a new start up on exercise motivation...but if no one is motivated to visit my blog...well, you know the rest!

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  57. Well, I try and post pretty often, and I also try to get around to reading everyone's blog that comments on me, and comment on them, & I include photos, but I don’t see myself changing my content to please the readers. I was sad for a couple yrs that hardly anyone reads my blog..but I am prettty much over it. I like writing it; it's fun, so maybe some people will come along and read it, or offer me some awesome job or something, but prob not. Either way, it's still fun to write it. I do think that twitter helped gain what few readers I do have though. Once I started twittering, I got more readers than I had the few yrs I'd had it already.

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  58. How many of you all are doing or have done the 30-Day Shred (from Jillian Michaels of Biggest Loser fame)? After hearing about it from a neighbor, co-worker and dozens of online friends, I decided it was time for me to give it a try! I picked it up a couple months ago from Target, but I thought I wasn't quite ready for it at the time.So about a month ago I started doing the Shred workouts here and there...in between my running day workouts and other DVD or Wii related workout programs I was using. To date I've only done 6 Shred workouts! But inspired by Mamavation gal Paige, I decided yesterday that I would do the Shred EVERY DAY until I've gotten to 30 Days! That includes on days that I do my run workout or other workouts. For example...this morning I did a 5K in prep for the race day I have coming up on Mother's Day! I'm still not running the entire 5K...but I run at least half of it, and hopefully by race day I can run nearly all of it!The Shred is just 20 minutes in length, but it kicks my butt...and I've only been doing Level One! So I know if I do it consistently for the next 24 days, I will definitely see some good results! My fave workout in Level One is the extension row (upper arms/back) exercise. The one that is my least favorite is the squat & reach exercise. When I started doing the Shred, I decided I would take a picture of myself after every Shred workout. I'll continue this tradition and post the pics from time to time! Shred days 1-6 right here:

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  59. I like it all starts with a name that catches the eye... when I seen your comment in one of my posts for the first time I was like WHO IS THIS JACK SH*T GUY? And I had to click on your link.

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  60. I don't have a huge readership, but one thing that I've tried to do to make blog buddies is to make a conscious effort to follow up with every new commenter. Whether that's just going to their blog to say thanks, hi, whatever, I try to do it! Then it makes that person more likely to come back to my blog & me more likely to come back to theirs!

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  61. as a blog owner I stive to offer good tips & advice

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  62. As long as you write stuff that people want to read then you are onto a winner.

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  63. Jack, thanks for pointing me to this post! I think you just helped me realize that the majority of followers are other bloggers (I never made that connection before). I can still use the steady stream of visitors to my site to keep me motivated, even if they never join or leave a comment =]

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  64. Very interesting article...I like to say that this blog again looking too interesting I got a nice and great read on this blog. This time I want to thank along with my whole team. We also like to thank to blogger for his best thinking.

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  65. I really like this topic! I'm currently looking for Weight Loss Diets.

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  66. It should come as no shock to many people that a primary cause of back injury is an overall weakness in specific muscles of the abdomen and the back itself.

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  67. There are some fascinating time limits in this article however I don’t know if I see all of them heart to heart. There is some validity however I will take maintain opinion till I look into it further.

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  68. I enjoyed reading this. I have to agree with you where you say lines and lines of text are hard to read. When I come across a Blog like that I move on. Another type of Blog I avoid is where they write in ALL CAPS.

    I'm uncomfortable about putting personal details in a blog. What do I do? I write about my miniature dachshund.

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  69. I enjoyed reading this. I have to agree with you where you say lines and lines of text are hard to read. When I come across a Blog like that I move on. Another type of Blog I avoid is where they write in ALL CAPS.

    I'm uncomfortable about putting personal details in a blog. What do I do? I write about my miniature dachshund.

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  70. I enjoyed reading this. I have to agree with you where you say lines and lines of text are hard to read. When I come across a Blog like that I move on. Another type of Blog I avoid is where they write in ALL CAPS.

    I'm uncomfortable about putting personal details in a blog. What do I do? I write about my miniature dachshund.

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  71. In the regard of Building a Better Blog is one step that should be followed and that is following the above article.


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