Jeanette @ Hjemmemamma.com – Which blog are you trying to promote OR which one fits the niche in which you’re commenting?

Delson Moo – I’ve seen others ask that question before, about “how do you find ideas?” and it always surprises me. When an author writes a book, they have something burning inside that they must share and need a venue in which to do it. No one decides they need to write a book and then figures out what it should be about.

Bloggers should be the same way. We ought to begin with ideas brimming over and just need a forum in which to share. If you’re out of ideas other than what’s already been said, and you don’t have a particularly unique and catching way to say it, perhaps it’s time to take a break from blogging and just enjoy the community that comes from commenting around the blogosphere.

I hope that doesn’t sound too harsh; believe me, I’ve thought a lot about your question over the past week as I took a break from blogging for the holidays.

Now perhaps you do have a unique style and are wildly deserving of your own seat in the blog community. Here are some ways that I keep writing, day after day:
1. I have my own system at my blog with Monday Missions every week. They give a theme for the week and connect to another post, a “Food for Thought” with information behind the mission. I have to post on Monday or I feel like I missed a deadline. The other thematic posts just stream out from there.
2. Carnivals give me structure. I know there are many recipe carnivals on Tuesdays and Fridays, so I’m motivated to post new recipes on those days, or at least once a week so I can participate. Wednesday is a hugely popular tip carnival (Works for Me Wednesday), so that day I often have a light-hearted, tip post. Real food is the topic on Wednesdays, too, if I can manage. The carnivals give my whole week a schedule to organize my ideas.
3. I think about my niche ALL. THE. TIME. I have a huge list of possible blog posts from my own kitchen, as well as emails tagged “ideas” and websites bookmarked in every topic imaginable. I make it my own.
4. I’m not afraid to talk to experts to make something “new” in my niche. I’m emailing a doctor in Australia and the author of a book in the States currently, debating a hefty topic. That post(s) will be as original as anything.
5. I have to say again – the ideas should power the blog, not the other way around. If you’ve run out of things to say, don’t clutter up your screen with your own redundancies. Get out there and read something fun.

Adelle – thanks for the note about the giveaways. I absolutely agree, and they’re fun to run as well. I’m checking out your list now!

Claire @ Money Saving Plan – It is blog carnival etiquette, especially with Mr. Linky-type roundups, to link back to the host. That’s one reason the host goes through the work of running a carnival! It’s an easy way to support others in the blog world, too. I always put a little note or list at the end of my posts. See an example here: http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/12/02/simple-frugal-homemade-gifts-for-kids-books-on-cd-playdough-kits-bathtime-fun/ I link almost all my recipes to carnivals if you want more examples or food carnivals to enter yourself. Good, important question!

Susan @ A Slice of my Life – I moved after only 10 weeks of blogging or so, so I didn’t have any page rank issues. Feedburner will allow you to transfer your feed instead of deleting it, and all the subscribers should stay w/you (if I remember right!). Page rank should come back in time, but it is worth the trouble to email folks you know have quality links to your old site and ask them to change over. I also kept my WordPress site and left messages on popular pages directing readers precisely to the new permalink. The best tip for someone just starting on WordPress is to make all your internal links like this: ../permalink. The “../” takes the place of the http://www.yoursitename.wordpress.com — it means that all your internal links will still be valid when you move. I am blessed to have a computer programmer as a husband! Hope your move is successful and pain-free!

**I have a new answer to the “best thing you’ve done to increase your blog stats” question, too. I have received 203 trackable clicks over from this guest post at Problogger, and although I know there are more still trickling in as well as some from readers and emails that I probably couldn’t track, entering big weekly carnivals remains the best and easiest way to gain readership. Sweet! Thanks for hosting, all you lovely carnival-hosting bloggers! I’ll keep stopping by (as soon as I get my head on straight from too much time away from high-speed Internet).

:) Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship

I’ve been blogging off and on for a couple years now…starting off as a “blogging for granny” type. Folks seem to like my style and I have a small following. Still, I’ve a lot from this article and hope to create a slightly following…thank you so much!

I have another question that’s slightly changing the subject. You mentioned that you moved over to a self-hosted WP blog. Any hints on the best way to do that? I’m planning on making the move from wp.com on the 1st and want to bring all my readers (and my google page rank!) with me. I’m having a horrible time figuring out a seamless way to do that. Any suggestions?

Once again, thank you for the info you’ve already provided and hopefully for any moving hints as well!

i really appreciate this roundup of information. i’ve been blogging for years, but only recently have i come to regard it more as a public forum than a private diary. i’m taking the first tentative steps out into the blogosphere, and these tips are going to come in super handy.

Nice article thanks

Oh, and thanks for clearing up the naming suggestion. This is a lot cleaner to read while using my branding. Awesome! :)

Thanks!
a

I was a little confused though by the section on making sure you link back to memes.

You talk about linking back to the principal carnival host even when participating in a Mr. Linky – type round up on another blog. How does that work? Do you have any examples? I’m not sure I’ve seen people remembering to do that with Mr. Linky and wanted to know if it was protocol.

Thanks!

I have one question, though. I run TWO blogs… How do I decide which one to put beside my name? *puzzled* :)

No, but seriously, it was. Although I’ve been “blogging” for close to eight years, I’ve never taken it too seriously. Now that I’m diving into the creation of a gaming blog, I’m going to have to. And now, I know just how to get started.

Will definitely read and re-read as many times as necessary until the message(s) sink into my brain.

Here is a list of, what I think, are the best giveaway blogs to promote your giveaway on.

http://www.adelle.com.au/the-best-giveaways-blogs/

Hope this helps some.

All the technical aspects of blogging such as SEO, page ranking and whatsoever not, I’m actually quite familiar with, since I’m a trained I.T. professional.

All the good habits, rituals and even proper behaviors from other A-list bloggers I also tried to understand and learn them.

My problem now is that no matter how hard I tried, I can only be a cookie-cutter blogger and my knowledge or expertise is always somewhat a few steps behind others.
It seems that there is no way for me to come out with original content or ideas that I can blog about, and that is my question to post to you…

How do you or anybody here come out with original contents every week, or even everyday, when the so-called blogosphere is already fully packed with other like-minded bloggers?

A few notes:
Bruce – You can find carnivals on cooking, being frugal, “green” living, taking photos, being thankful, and probably a ton more.

Curtis – my biggest day(s) happened when really influential bloggers spotlighted me. I got 1000 hits one day at a site with just over 3000 subs, and only just over 100 from today’s Problogger debut, which equals the return from a blog with 2000 subs. I guess this isn’t my niche!

Pastorkate – getting a guest post is as simple as writing a good pitch. Most folks who want guest posts on their sites either write a post asking for offers or send an email to other bloggers requesting guest posters.

Indrek – re: website name next to name. Not the url of the website, just the title. Anything to make you stand apart from all the other Katies out there. Although with Indrek as a name, maybe you don’t have to work at that like I would!

Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship