Building my Blog – And Yours

I have been playing with this blog for the past month or so, and now it is time to get to it in earnest.  On This Old Brain Dot Net (TOB), I went through the same process during Darren Rowse’ original excellent program, 31 Days to a Build a Better Blog. And I am going to do the same here.  When I did the first g-round on TOB, I increased readership exponentially, and I want to both see for myself and show you a way to increase readership of YOUR BLOG.

That is what it is all about, is it not?

I invite you to gram Darren’s book and follow along.  It is absolutely full of resources from one of most read ‘bloggers on blogging’ around.  Here is a link to the book.

We start Monday, so grab it soon.

Originally posted 2009-07-26 12:22:42. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Build Your Blog With TTR and Darren Rowse is a post from: Thesis Theme Revue

photo credit: Tambako the Jaguar

Give Your Blog Wings

Day 3 in my 31days.  Hope you’re still with me.

Hmmm, I just looked at the dashboard for this blog.  My first thought – How do I pitch a post when I have only 16 to choose from.  I wonder how many others out there are in the same boat.

One way, according to 31DBBB is to promote a post by linking to it.  I return to beginner’s mind.  One of the first real posts I wrote for this blog is a short tutorial on changing TTR from a plain vanilla blog to using one of the custom backgrounds that come with The Thesis Theme Package.

Simple Thesis Theme Tutorial
photo credit: bavatuesdays

It’s pretty basic, but that is where I am coming from.  As time goes on there are other ways that I will promote future posts.  Here are a couple plugins that help with that job-

DAgon SitemapGenerator

A site map is a map of all the posts on your blog that publishes as a Site Map page.  That makes all your posts available at all times.  I have it on http://thisoldbrain.net

Old Post Promoter

Old Post Promoter will randomly pull up and publish an old post.  This keeps it fress and you can set it so that it puts the post either first or second on the list.  This is important. At least it was for me.  When I first started using this plug in, these posts would show up and I would panic because I had now idea where they were coming from.  You can also choose what categories it will pull the posts from, so if you have some that are especially good, you can categorize them in that way.

Stray Random Quotes

I may be listing this plugin because I think it is so cool.  You can save quotes to your database from anywhere on the web.  And you can set quotes with links and also use them anywhere in your post with a little bit of code.  Very nice.

Twitter Tools

If you are going to promote posts you will be on Twitter.  Twitter tools allows you to set up weekly posts with all of your tweets for the week or even daily posts.

These are just  a few ways to promote some of your good work.

What other methods do you use?

Originally posted 2009-07-29 15:36:39. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Using Plugins to Pitch Posts – Day 3 is a post from: Thesis Theme Revue

Don’t think I don’t know that I am being a pain in the ass about this.  But I am doing it anyway.

If you are serious about using Twitter for your business, or if you want to build a personal following, you cannot do without TweetAdder.

This is TweetAdder, not TweetERAdder, or any other substitute.

TweetAdder is a Premium Professional piece of Twitter Software. You should absolutely not listen to me.. you should check it out yourself.

Right now it is a little more urgent.  You can get a significant discount through Monday, August 1oth by using a coupon code “taxfree’.

Take a look, see what you think.

Mike

Originally posted 2009-08-09 15:04:39. Republished by Old Post Promoter

TweetAdder — AGAIN is a post from: Thesis Theme Revue

Have you tried Thesis for Wordpress?

I am enamored by the Thesis Theme created by Chris Pearson.  Enamored, but not an expert.

Always looking for ways to tinker with my theme (and often getting myeslf in trouble in the process), I rely heavily on the DIYThemes user forum.  On the other hand, I am also alway on the lookout for tips and tricks for modification and sometimes just “prettying up” my theme. Thesis is the first theme I have run into that is so user modifiable that it is actually exciting to use. I wanted to share with my readers some of the places I have found on the web that offer tutorials and new ideas for Thesis.

Are there times when this them makes me crazy. Absolutely.  I see that as part of the creative learning curve.  Stay tuned to my blog as I DIY my way into gore and glory!  Both?

I don’t know about you, but blogging is what I love to do (even when racking my brain about what to write about. The Thesis Theme will allow you to be as creative (or not creative – It will stand alone, too) as you like with your blog.  Thesis can help you turn you blog into a website, or you can create a website using the Thesis theme. It has truly blurred the lines between blogging and websites.

So, if you haven’t puchased your theme yet, click on any of the Thesis ads here or below. What you are still sitting there?  Do this. You will be glad you did!

Your Turn

If you have Thesis, how are you using it?

If you don’t use Thesis, what questions do you have?

If you know of any other Thesis Customization tips, please let me know

If there is some way I can help, let me know.

Mike

Originally posted 2009-08-25 13:13:02. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Thesis Theme Review is a post from: Thesis Theme Revue

photo credit: MK Media ProductionsDarren’s Day 4 challenge was to analyze another blog in your niche.  It took me a while to get to it, but I did do so.

It was incredibly informative.

I used my other blog This Old Brain as TTR is so new.  I compared it to several other blogs in the same niche.  A couple of things I discovered that were surprising to me is that on some posts and on some days, even in general, I am doing as well or better (numbers-wise) than they are.

One of the other more intuitive learnings for me were that at times I may narrow my niche too much, and at others, get too far off base.  I am thinking that is because I am not exactly sure yet what my niche is.

Here are just a few teaser tips from 31DBB. Good questions to answer if you want to learn about your own blogging.

Take 15 minutes to do some analysis of the blog in some of the following areas

Content:

• What topics are they covering?

• What topics are they ignoring?

• What voice/style do they post in?

• How often are they posting?

• What level are they pitching their posts at (beginners, advanced etc)

Reader Engagement:

• What topics generate most conversation?

• What styles of posts seem to connect with readers best?

• What questions are readers asking in comments?

• What complaints do you see readers making in comments?

• What tools/mediums is the site using (eg: are they using Twitter, forums etc)

Design:

• What first impression does their design give?

• What have they done well? What have they done poorly?

• What Options do they give readers to subscribe?

If you want to take on building your blog as a challenge, you need 31DBBB.  I don’t care if you get it here, but get it for certain.

If you are serious about consistently building your blog, take a look at Darren’s Blog Problogger

Originally posted 2009-08-02 18:34:16. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Day 4 – Back on Track is a post from: Thesis Theme Revue

If? visited Thesis Theme Revue (TTR) In the past couple of days you would have seen all of the colors and even the logo for This Old Brain Dot Net.

And now it’s gone.? That is the beauty of this Premium Theme.? It’s so adaptable.? The mistake I made is when I installed Thesis 1.51, I used my old custom.css file.? If you look at my theme now, you will see -

Without the red outline from clipping, of course.

I am going to make a couple of small changes that will change the look of the front page.? First, I am going to get rid of the multimedia box and the stock widget posts, and then it looks like this -

and voila, the extras are gone.

Then I am going to just put a turquoise outline around the container, like so -

Color?

Okay, so for me the color is a little bright.? I will go back and change it by finding the html code for a more desirable color, a more MANLY color (he said with a grunt) and siply put the #xxxxxx numbers in my custom.css file.

And I am a dope when it comes to this stuff.? You will do great.

You can grab your copy of the Thesis Theme by clicking below.? Well, what are you waiting for.

If you have any (simple) questions I can answer, please shoot them to me in the comments!

Originally posted 2009-06-23 19:37:37. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Thesis Theme Revue — First Learning Experience is a post from: Thesis Theme Revue

photo credit: e-magic

Day 5 – My 31DBBB Project

Why do you want people to comment on your blog?

Day five of 31DBBB tells us to reply to our commenters.  That’s been a commitment I’ve stuck with as much as possible (if I have missed someone, please let me know).

• First, how have I managed to slow time?  I committed to do the 31 day blog improvement project over a week ago.  Here I am on day 5.  It seems that time has both slowed and sped up in the same period.  Trying to get a post out every day on three blogs is a challenge.  I want to do it right, and sometimes there is this pesky thing called life that gets in the way.  Thus, my 31 days may turn out to be more like 60-65 days.  I think this might be better.

Having said that, let’s go.

Readers are the ultimate purpose of a blog.  Yes, many of us write because it feels like something we have to do, but ultimately, without readers, we cease to exist. Your omments, questions, complaints, and ideas are our lifeline to the world.

What are some of the ways readers help bloggers? And the web as a whole for that matter?

In a way, this is the reader’s job description.  Here are some ways your comments help

• Keep the blogger focused.
• Offer ideas for future stories.
  • Your comments let us know what information you want and if you are getting it in a digestible way.
• Tell the blogger when he or she is on the right (write) track.
• Encourage improvement and clarity.  If you don’t understand what’s being written, let the blogger know.
• Let us know when we are being obscure (or full of crap, to put it bluntly).
• You drive our learning.

And here are some things I think -

• If you are like me, you don’t want to read more than necessary, but you do want to KNOW.

• Blogging isn’t meant to be pedagogy, it is meant to be conversation.

• Blogging can be utterly narcissistic, and your comments help create truth through your criticism. (in other words, again, I can be just as full of crap as anyone – so let me know when I am).

I want to throw in this link to a Problogger post on how to get comments and ask a couple of  questions -

• How do you get somments on your blog?

• What do you do with them when you get them?

Originally posted 2009-08-04 09:07:30. Republished by Old Post Promoter

How Readers and Commenters MAKE Your Blog is a post from: Thesis Theme Revue

Who do you learn from?

How do you know what someone has to teach?

Might they your best opportunities to learn already be available on Twitter? Or other networks you are already on?

How would you know unless you asked?

I recently started pying attention to what Liz Strauss writes.  The latest of her posts (that I have read) lays out a step by step method to start creating your own path to, well, whatever it is you are trying to do.

Here is a quick list of the stps from Liz’ post a a few of my thoughts -

1. Start with a foundation of concrete not sand

Brings me back to days of weightlifting and strength training in a couple of ways — not that I was ever that great at either.

• You could always tell the novice in the gym.  They are the ones who get ahead of themselves and  their hands shake as they lift.  I always thought that was trying to lift with ego, not strength.  Except, of course, when I was doing it.
• Arnold Schwarzenegger, before he became the Govnator (or whatever) was in the gym with a workout partner.  The partner asked how many sets they had left.  Arnold offered a Zenny answer, “Just this one, always this one.”  Doing this thing, this one thing, whatever it is, keeps us from getting ahead of ourselves.  You start from where you are and you are always here. Now.

2. Lay out a path

• Lay out your path.  Joseph Campbell once said (or maybe more than once) that if you are on a path, it is someone elses path. When I work with clients, they want to have aplan and then talk about how this person did x or y, or how their parents did something or taught them something.  I then wonder if they are on their own path.  Maybe I think too much.

3. Wisely choose unique and valuable guides

• See 2.  What is the best guide?  I would answer the guide that finds you.  Here I speak of values.  What is important to you?  What do you want?  and then the big question — Do you want what you want or do you want what you think you should want?  That is the challenge

4. Check your bearings regularly

• The beauty of using values as your guide is that values give you direction regardless of where position,  If I value writing consistently to become a better writer, it isn’t hard to tell whether I am writing or not.  And if I am not, that is an easy enough direction to change.

5. Don’t Leave Out Learners

• Allow me to contradict myself a bit and defer to a ‘guru.’  I have always liked Stephen Covey’s edict about teaching to learn.  When you know there are learners out there hungry for what you have learned, you may be motivated to learn it better.  At least a little?  Maybe?

6. Ask for Help

• I’m a guy.  At the risk of stereotyping myself, I am one who does not like to ask for help.  It’s my challenge.  I heard a motivational speaker once tell a little story about something Joe Frazier said (yes, the boxer).  He said, “At some time in each of our lives, we are like the blind man standing at a corner waiting for someone to help us across the street. “

More powerful wisdom from the post -

Watch for and welcome every wise teacher you encounter. Wisdom and experience are a prize. True teachers show themselves by offering advice, expecting nothing in return. Mentors who come your way, offering experience and connections, see something in you. Let them help you discover what that is and what it could be if you let it grow.

Building A Powerful Personal Developmental Network – Is Your Next Teacher on Twitter?

Art by Artleg Art

Originally posted 2009-07-22 10:09:33. Republished by Old Post Promoter

When the Student is Ready is a post from: Thesis Theme Revue

Originally posted 2009-08-12 09:19:05. Republished by Old Post Promoter

40 Ways to Optimize Wordpress is a post from: Thesis Theme Revue

• Monetizing your Blog "How To Sell Ads On Your Blog | David Risley dot com" http://bit.ly/17xiqn #

Originally posted 2009-06-22 12:55:00. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Links and Ideas for 2009-06-22 is a post from: Thesis Theme Revue