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Quick Tips: Start a series, Don't go plugin crazy, Invite guest posters
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I've just organised the previous instalments of my Quick Tips series into a new section under Tutorials. So now it's really easy to find all of my Quick Tips in one place. New posts will appear on the home page, and I'll move them into the Quick Tips section once they've fallen off the front page.
So without further ado, here are the three tips for this week.
Start a series.
If you can put your point across in one post, do so. But sometimes, two posts are better than one. Maybe splitting your post into two or three "episodes" is a more logical approach than trying to cover everything in one post.This is not just true of long posts, but also of detailed posts. If you're writing a lot of "heavy" content, especially if it's technical in nature, your readers may find it easier to read a few shorter posts than an incredibly long one.
There are a few things to remember here. It's usually best to run each "episode" consecutively or with not too many posts in-between, but don't post them all at once - at the most, post them one day at a time.
This may seem obvious but I've seen people doing it - don't forget to write the subsequent parts of your series! Don't start off with part 1 and then abandon the idea completely. Plan the series before you dive into it. If it really doesn't go down well, wrap it up - don't just leave it hanging.
You can also use the same day every week to post a particular type of content. These don't have to be listed as part 1, part 2 etc but just given a similar title each time. Here, I post quick tips every Tuesday. This is a good way to create a sense of continuity and organisation in your blog - but I'd probably advise against having every single day assigned to something. Leave some space for changes, or have a week off every now and again.
Don't go plugin crazy.
I don't use WordPress - a popular blogging system - on my blog, but I understand that a lot of people do. I also understand that there are a lot of plugins out there. These allow you to add extra features to WordPress and can be quite handy.With so many plugins available for free, it may be tempting to install a lot. I'd suggest that you err on the side of caution and avoid installing too many plugins just because they're available. Chances are, you may run into problems if you install too many - especially when it comes to upgrade.
Ironically, there are even plugins that can help with this predicament, but it pays to be a bit careful with what you install. Try asking at a blogging forum if you're looking for a particular kind of plugin and you want recommendations. This can really help when it comes to finding a plugin that's actually worth using.
This also applies to other software, such as Firefox (my favourite web browser). There are lots of add-ons that can provide lots of extra things in your browser. As with plugins in WordPress, install too many and you may become unstuck. Just slow down and don't install too much.
Actually, the same goes for anything you can install on your computer! We may be here for a while, so let's move on...
Invite your readers to write a guest post.
I've read blogs that suggest sending a guest post to popular blogs in the hope they might publish it. Sometimes they do, but I'd rather read a person's comments and blog posts before thinking about whether they could write a guest post on my blog. Then I would approach them myself.Why not approach your regular commenters privately (i.e. with a quick email) to see if they'd like to write a guest post? Of course, it really depends on what kind of blog you have, and your posts should always be the focus - guest posts shouldn't become more frequent than your own contributions. And don't send a mass email - send individual emails to two or three people.
If you'd still like to go for a guest post on a popular blog, at least consider this additional tip. Why not write a really good post that's actually the first in a two-part series? Then, if you get accepted, you're guaranteed a second spot! Devious, but it might work...
What do you think?
Do you have weekly or monthly post series?How many plugins do you have on your site, if any? Do you think you have too many?
What about the devious two-part guest post? If anyone tries it, tell me how it goes!
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Comments on Quick Tips: Start a series, Don't go plugin crazy, Invite guest posters
With the two part guest post, it might bean idea to write the second installment on your own blog?
Sharing traffic both ways with people wanting to read the other part.
Just a quick word on the WordPress plugins. What you have said here is spot-on. What with WordPress version 2.5 just around the corner, nobody knows what is going to be supported and what not. My motto on this issue is 'if it is not really useful, get rid of it'.
I just recently upgraded my Wordpress installation to the latest version. I was a little behind the bell curve there, but I did get it done. I wrote down all the plugins I had installed, turned them off when I was finished, and reviewed their functionality before trying them on the upgraded WP install. I left off about five, and have thirteen going now.
I have a few I don't need. But I do enjoy their functionality.
feefifoto - good luck with your series. A series can get a bit out of hand if there are too many parts, but I think it's good to have some continuity. You can do this by linking to previous posts, too.
Tam - that's certainly a possibility, and could be good for traffic sharing. However, it might be confusing for readers if they end up moving between two different sites to read two parts of a post. It might end up with the host of the guest post suggesting that the writer just puts both parts on their own site. I'd like to see someone try and pull off a two-part guest post where the first part is also their first post on the blog they're writing on. Then again I might try it for myself!
Arnold - not only that, but it's also possible that new versions of WordPress could make certain plugins irrelevant. If WP incorporates a few popular plugins into the core system then users may be able to do without the original plugins.
Jason - reviewing each plugin individually sounds like a very good idea. I wonder how many people actually do this.
Thanks for all the comments. :)
I like the idea of running a series; it's a lot less daunting to write (and read) a long story that's been subdivided than to try to create (and read!) pages and pages of material all at once. I've been doing a series about planning my son's bar mitzvah, which is an ongoing process and will provide lots of (interesting, I hope) material.