Pro Blogging Advice with Andi Returns! You don't want to miss this.

You came back!

Last Thursday I wrote about some of the rules that will help you succeed in the blogosphere. Today I thought I share some of the tactical day-to-day aspects.

I blog every day. It is a creative outlet for me. I never thought of myself as a "creative" person so no one was more shocked than me about how fulfilled I felt when I launched my blog. Now I am passionate about blogging. But since I do have a full time job, a husband and a busy travel schedule it is not something I can do all day long. I have worked in the Internet marketing space for more than fifteen years and there are a couple of tools I use that allow me to blog everyday. I wrote a really detailed blog post on my pal Kasia's blog which you can check out here.

Courtesy of UCSC.edu

But bottom line it is discipline via a content calendar and focus via "my tree."

What tree? Am I nuts? Well no, not really.

Think of your blog as a tree which of course has a trunk, or, your core topic. You can have many branches that come out of the trunk, but they should all connect back so as to not confuse your readers. If one day you blog about X and the next you blog about Y and the reader cannot make a connection, people might not stick around. Whenever you are sitting down to write a post think about how it connects back to your trunk. I swear the methodology has works. I started the process last spring and the writing on my blog has improved a tone.


And when it comes to blogging, it is all about content.

Once you have mastered the writing piece, you can begin to think about design. A nice design is important because if someone visiting your blog can't read it or is distracted by too much bling they aren't going to stick around. I have written two posts on this topic: "Misadventures in Blog Design" and "Are you overloaded?" which I think will help.

You know what they saw abut the law, the ignorance of the law doesn't mean it doesn't apply to you? Well there are "laws" governing blogging. They are rules put forth by the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) and if you are doing reviews or giveaways you might want to educate yourself about them. I have another post that will provide you some info.

Lastly don't try to do it alone. Follow some of the mega bloggers like Pioneer Woman, Chris Brogan, etc. Hang out in communities like SITS, Lady Bloggers Society, or Blissfully Domestic. These organizations believe that sharing the knowledge is good and you can learn a lot from networking with them on forums, etc. Also think about blogs that you like and emulate some of the things they do adding your own flavor. With constant care your little garden will grow. Just don't try to do everything at once.

Hope these posts helped. These are all things I have put into practice on Misadventures with Andi. Feel free to ask questions in the comment field and I will try to answer them!

Note from Michelle: Hello Dolls! Ms. Andi is the BEST at answering questions thoroughly and she is very quick to respond. Today's posting can be treated like a forum - so ask away and check back often. Great news - I've somehow talked Andi into doing another posting, and possibly a series. There will be a 3rd one next Thursday discussing our favorite mystery - Twitter! I'll think of a witty title for her series. If you have a suggestion - send me an email at hot.pink.combat.boots@gmail.com

If you enjoys today's posting, please share it with your readers with a link. Many of us bloggers are fairly new and could use a bit of coaching from a seasoned pro. Even seasoned bloggers can find a tip or two. Thanks for reading all the way to the bottom, Michelle.