I’ve just added a poll to the sidebar that gives you as readers an opportunity to tell me what type of tips you’d like me to focus upon here at ProBlogger.net in the months ahead.
I’ve chosen 9 of the topics that I regularly get questions on from readers. While the result of the poll may be that all are selected equally (you can choose as many as you like but can only vote once), I’d love to get a sense of what the felt needs of readers are at present.
If you would like to expand on your answer and/or suggest other areas feel free to do so in comments below. I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to give everyone what they want – but I want to at least give readers an opportunity to help set the direction for this blog in this way.
I’m looking forward to see what you have to say both through the poll and via comments. The Poll will go for a week.
First post!?!
Seriously though, thank God for a poll with multiple options – I can’t stand polls wih select-one-only, when you really want to pick two.
Hi Darren,
I have been reading your blog for the past month or so now and I have been encouraged by the posts to think that I could take a small blog and over the next few years turin it into something that can produce an income. I have started a real ale blog with the aim of promoting CAMRA, local beers and breweries.
The question I have been pondering over the last week as a software developer with enough knowledge about hosting, web design and software etc. is…
Since I have started a blog using blogger (simply because it was so easy to do), should I continue to use blogger? or move to another blogging package and my own url now? or can this be done later?
Cheers,
Aj
Already those poll results look interesting – so many people want to know about writing content and fewer are interesting advertising.
I was as intrigued as Stuart that writing content is a good second (so far) to building readership. As a content man myself, I find that that bodes well :-)
John – it scared me that people were more interested in adsense than other forms of advertising – still it’s early days yet :)
Building readership is the most important factor for a blog success and for a blogger to know well, in my opinion, since not writing content worth reading will not attract returning readers, but writing good content is still not enough to succeed.
Aj
I think Darren already did an article covering blogger at: https://problogger.com/is-blogger-the-worst-free-blogging-service/
Of course I don’t know if things have changed with blogger since then. Although I dare say it’s still much better to own your own url. WordPress is easy to setup but TextPattern is worth a look as well.
How about developing a useful set of basic articles for people on how to get started.
This might be a series of new articles or just short articles with links to existing problogger articles. The idea would be that the articles assume little knowledge of blogging and articles could include topics like – “what is blogging”, “available blogging software”, “blog SEO”, “intro to making money with blogs” and so on.
Perhaps others could write the articles and get a link from a summary page on this blog, similar to the ’31 days’ series of articles here last month.
Peter,
I kind of really know blooger is proberbly not the place to develop in the future and I and many others only find problogger after they have started to take it seriously.
I think my suggestion for an article is “I started with blogger but where and how do I move on…”
Aj
My two votes were for Building Readership and Writing Content.
I thought about a vote for some form of advertising/SEO, but I think Darren’s previous posts (and references to SEO experts, etc) cover the majority of what you’d need for the near future on those topics.
I think most small bloggers (sitting there, watching our stats) would have a high interest in increasing readership levels (heck, in *having* (return) readership levels).
My blog’s currently on Blogger and until nowish I’ve been fairly content wih it (having my own hosting/control with a mate) however it’s lack of some fairly basic features is just starting to bug me.
For instance when leaving a comment on a Blogger blog, I’m not sure whether you can leave your URL? I *think* you have to sign up to Blogger (depending on individual blog comment settings) to leave a comment, and it shows a link to your Blogger profile page as your comment link – which is pretty lame. *Going off comments on my own blog here, could be wrong*
Aj
That sounds like a good suggestion. I had a look at your blog and it looks good. I hope you do well with it
Building a blog readership is the number one thing for me, followed by writing content (stuff like 31 Days, Blog Crushes, this poll etc., are smart ways of keeping a community together) – everything else (eg: AdSense/Sponsorships) will/should follow that.
I don’t understand why so many out there are worred about getting their AdSense right on a newsh blog??? Doesn’t make sense without having a decent sized and growing readership first.
I worry about getting my AdSense right on a newish blog because it’s already generating 20% to 25% of my income, after being up only two months. Yes, I finally found a niche that not only do I know a lot about, but is underserved both in the blogosphere and in the larger web. And it has high paying keywords!
As for Blogger, I would get away from Blogger as soon as possible. WordPress will even happily import all of your Blogger posts into your shiny new WordPress blog, making the transition nearly painless. And WP has a strong community and more support than you will ever need in the first days of getting your blog going. I can’t say the same for Textpattern or even Movable Type.
Definately building readership. There is not much point in doing any advertising unless people will visit and revisit.
I’m pleased to see that currently there are more votes for building readership & writing content than for making money / optimising ads. Let’s face it…. a blog should be about content, & ’til there are regular & committed readers (audience) there’s no-one to sell anything to with the ads.
Maybe you’re right John but I’ve always felt that what you write should come from the heart – it’s not something that you can ‘learn’.
On the other hand if you want to do this to make money you’re not going to make much if you don’t learn how and what to sell :)
[…] Have your say in more detail here Free polls from Pollhost.com […]
Hi,
I am a bit late about taking this survey.
It’s better late than never.
I would like to improve readership and make them loyal. Who wouldn’t?
I started my blog two months back and after faithful blogging, I now get an average unique readedership of (let the drum roll begin ) 7 a day and growing.
Sincerely,
Johncy Edward
http://your-credit-score-n-you.blogspot.com/