If you blog using WordPress, then you’ve probably heard about the Thesis theme, which is not only easy to use and customise, but also plays nice with the search engines. This site uses Thesis, and I can recommend it to anyone who wants to improve their blog, and make the whole experience of setting up and running a website more fun and less time consuming.

One of the many great aspects of The Thesis Theme for WordPress is the range of SEO (search engine optimisation) features. Thesis makes it easy to do things like customise the page title, write a Google-friendly meta description and add keywords to each and every blog post you produce.

A new version of Thesis has just been released, and includes what may seem like a small improvement, but it’s one I’ve been waiting for, and which should make life much easier for bloggers who are concerned about SEO.

What’s the feature? Character counts. Character counts for your page titles and meta descriptions. Search engines will only show a specific number of characters in these title and meta description fields, but previously, Thesis didn’t display a character count. You had to count them by hand or eye. Or cut and paste them into a word processor just to get an accurate count. Annoying. Very annoying.

Now that issue is solved, and it’s one of those small little additions that will actually make life significantly easier for bloggers.

Other changes and additions in Thesis 1.8 include:

• A header image uploader
• Google fonts – you can now use 28 free fonts from the Google web directory, and they are, of course, all web safe
• Support for the new WordPress Nav Menu
• A Favicon uploader
• Lots of other stuff that’s too technical for a writing site…

If you want to know more about how to optimise blogs and other online content for the search engines, see my SEO ebook.

And if you want to know more about The Thesis Theme for WordPress, click here. (Affiliate link, by the way).

Related posts:

1. Thesis theme ready, refit complete: full steam ahead
2. What is SEO?
3. Accidental SEO

For most writers, finding ideas and inspiration is always a challenge. If you write a blog, then you will likely be trying to come up with a regular stream of posts.

You may have started out thinking there was lots to write about in the niche you have chosen, but after a while, you find the ideas drying up.

Each of these five ideas could give you at least one post a week, every week, for the rest of your blogging career.

The answer is to get the old brain-cells whirring again. Inspiration doesn’t come to those who sit and wait for it. You have to go out and hunt it down.

The suggestions that follow aren’t intended to be one-off ideas, but ways to regularly find inspiration for your blogging.

1. Read books around your niche

No matter how well you know your subject, your niche, there must be more to learn. It pays to keep reading widely as a way to pick up new ideas and inspiration.

Re-reading books that you know are useful is especially beneficial. You’re already familiar with the ideas, so you should be able to convert some of them into your own content easily.

Don’t just steal content though, add you own thoughts, blend ideas together from various sources.

You build a reputation, and you snaffle some readers from that big-time blogger too. Cunning, eh?

Is there a dummies or idiots guide relevant to your niche? If so, these can be a good way to pick up ideas for blog posts, as they are structured into small chunks of information which you can digest, without having to go through the whole book each time.

And you don’t have to limit your offline reading to just books, of course. There are also newspapers and magazines to consider.

If there’s a magazine directly relevant to your niche, subscribe to it. You’ll likely get dozens of ideas from every issue.

2. Interact with other blogs in your niche

Keep a list of other blogs in your niche and keep an eye on what they are up to. You might get ideas from their new posts, or from their archives.

You should also sign up for any newsletters they send out as these can be a good source of ideas (see point 5 for an example of this in action).

Consider doing roundup posts of good articles from around your niche. This could give you one high quality article to write every week.

You also save time for your readers. I know you are sending them off to other blogs which you may see as competition. I don’t think you should worry about this. Interact with your community, show you are an active part of it.

Those bloggers you link to will very probably come and check out your blog: everyone wants to know who is linking to them and what they are saying.

It’s all traffic, and those bloggers are sure to be people who are interested in what you are writing and what you have to say.

OK, and here’s a killer idea for you – one that I’ve only just had while writing this post. So I haven’t even tried it out myself yet, but I think I will and soon.

Do you know of blogs in your niche which are popular and get lots of comments? But the blogger isn’t that good at responding to comments, and answering questions?

By answering the question in your next blog post, you establish yourself as an authority in your niche.

You can do it for them – but not in their comments. Write a post that answers the commenters question or solves their problem. Then go back, and put in the comments on that other blog that you’ve written your post.

How cool is that? You’re going to look an outstandingly helpful and generous person who’s really taking the time to sort things out for someone.

And you get them to come to your blog to take a look.

This would work even if the blogger is answering comments. You could provide a better answer, a longer answer, a controversial answer.

You build a reputation, and you snaffle some readers from that big-time blogger too. Cunning, eh? All you have to do is identify the blogs to target.

3. Brainstorm

Learn how to brainstorm ideas. Learn about mind-mapping, free association and free writing – and use these techniques as ways to get ideas flowing.

You could also consider going to a walk, meditating, getting away from your blog (and computer) for a while, so your mind can come up with ideas.

4. Do keyword research

Use a keyword research tool to find out what people are looking for in and around your niche. The simplest way is to use the Google adwords tool, which is free. You can find it here.

Put in a term which is core to you niche, and it should throw out lots of ideas for articles.

These are articles that will be targeted at search terms, so they are an ideal way to be bring in new readers.

They’re looking for something – go write a post that gives them the answers.

5. Go to the forums

Credit for this idea has to go to Pat from SmartPassiveIncome. He included this in his newsletter sent out this week.

I’m pilfering his idea, but I can recommend his blog and newsletter – so I hope that makes us square…

His suggestion is to find any forums that exist around your niche, sign up and take part.

That’s pretty obvious, I know, but it gets even more clever. Because Pat points out you can use threads to identify things people are struggling with, problems they are having.

Now you can provide the answers.

Better still, you can save yourself some time by using the search function. Pat writes:

In the search field, type in some the following terms and see what you come up with:

“advice about”
“I hate it when”
“I need help with”
“can anyone help me”
“I’m looking for”
“really bad”
“desperate for”
“can’t find”
“have no clue”
“newbie”
“question about”

When you search for these terms … more than likely you’re going to get a series of forum threads that have someone in need of something.

Pat points out that by answering the question in your next blog post, you establish yourself as an authority in your niche. You can then go back into the forum thread, and tell everyone there that you’ve written your answer and point them towards your blog.

Blogging ideas – roundup time

So, there you are. Five ways to get inspiration for your blog: read offline; interact with your niche; brainstorm (I’ll do a separate post dedicated to this soon); keyword research and using the forums.

I reckon each of these five ideas could give you at least one post a week, every week, for the rest of your blogging career. That has to be worth the price of entry. It’s got to be worth a comment at least.

So you’re all set, lots of ways to find ideas. Now all you have to do is find the time…

Related posts:

1. Six ways to get more original ideas into your blog posts
2. How to write a blog post – in 12 easy steps
3. How to have ideas

There are many ways to approach the writing of blog posts and this is only one of them. But if you always cover off these 12 essential steps, you should reach blogging heaven in short order.

1. Have an idea

OK, this is the tricky part, I admit. What you really need is a clear idea, a focused idea. Blog posts can be about many things, of course. A popular theme, however, is solving problems for your readers. Let’s use that as an example. Get clear in your mind exactly what the problem is. What is your focus in this blog post? What is your subject?

2. Find your keywords
If your reader was going to state their problem – what would they write down? That tells you what they would search for in Google (other search engines are available…).

Using a few keywords or phrases in your post is useful to bring in lots of search engine traffic. Keep an eye out for a post on how to search engine optimise your blog posts in the next few days. (There’s a subscribe button top right – to be sure you don’t miss it…)

There are ways to get very serious about your keyword research, and again it’s a topic I’ll be coming back to soon. In the meantime, you can find out more about how to use and research keywords here and here and here.

3. Create a hook
A hook is a creative idea, usually in the headline and possibly backed up by a photo. It serves to give some personality to the post. Here, I’ve used the idea of ’12 easy steps’ to illustrate the post.

It’s not stunningly clever or original. But it does serve to add some colour (it gives an idea for a photo) and acts as a metaphor, which helps the reader engage. I’ve also added an allusion to the song ‘Three Steps To Heaven’ in the intro, something that is probably completely lost on our younger viewers.

4. Do your research

There are three basic ways to research your topic:

A: Do none. Write from your own experience. This saves you heaps of time and keeps things simple. It’s what I did on this post. I didn’t want other people’s ideas cluttering up my thinking.

B: Use the internet. You have a topic. You have keywords. Now use your search engine of choice to find relevant information. If you can’t find anything, you’ve struck gold. You can be the first….

C: Read a book. Books are great. They’re full of information, much of it has been researched and checked. Some of it is even accurate and true. Even better, other people can’t search a book online for the answer (although that may change), so you can bring something ‘original’ to the online world. Don’t plagiarise, however. Give credit where it’s due. Quote from the author and name the book you are using. Better still, give an Amazon.com affiliate link (or one for Amazon.co.uk if you prefer).

5. Order your ideas
Now that you have the information, it’s time to get it all clear in your head. You need to give it some structure.

A good way is to work it all over in your head. Talk it through, as if you were explaining everything you’ve researched to a friend or colleague.

An ideal way to add order to your information is to structure it as a list. People like lists. Blog readers in particular like list posts because:

A: They can read the numbered headers only
B: They can skip the rest.
C:  It’s called skim reading.

6. Let it flow
Now you need to write it all down. There are likely to be lots of things holding you back at this point. I could point you the way of some good solutions, which involve hypnotherapy from some trustworthy and highly credible sources. They’re designed to tackle writer’s block and help to free your creativity.
An alternative is just to get typing.

If you’re having difficulties at this point, the real problem probably lies back in points 1, 4 or 5.

• Have you got a clear focus, one idea, one topic that you’re going to cover in this post?
• Have you done enough research? Do you have enough information to solve the reader’s problem?
• Have you sorted that information, got it clear in your mind, made sense of it – and turned it into a proper solution to a problem?

If you’ve done all the above and the words still won’t come, try sleeping on it, or going for a walk, or meditating or something. Or pay a professional writer to do it for you

7. Tidy it up
Now’s the time to go back and fix those awkward sentences, correct your spelling, cut any rambling bits or anything unnecessary.

8. Add some links
Links are good – they show you are an active part of the blog / internet community. They show you’ve done some research. They’re good for your SEO (search engines again), and they might even bring in some attention – from the people you link to. Try it. Link to this blog in your next post and I’ll come check you out to see all the horrible things you’ve said about me.

9. Add a picture
This is optional. A great photo can really improve the impression your post makes on the reader. It can be time-consuming finding, preparing and uploading images however. There’s a great tutorial on finding pictures here.

10. Add a summary
Your post is nearing completion. But does it have an ending? If it seems to tail off, and doesn’t really have much bang at the conclusion, consider adding a quick summary of all that has gone before.

You’re doing your readers a big favour by doing this. Repetition is essential to learning, and by providing a summary, you make it much more likely that your reader’s over-tasked brain will actually retain what you’ve provided for them.

11. Send them on their way
One further thing to consider at the end – what do want the reader to do now? Do you want them to take some action, such as checking out one of your other posts? Link to it. Do you have an ebook or report for sale that might interest them? Tell them about it. Don’t just stop. Try to influence where they go next, what they read or what they do.

12. Proofread it
This is the bit I’m really bad at. But do as I say on this one, not as I do. Proofread it as many times as necessary to get rid of typos and mistakes. Then hit post.

What have we learnt?

To write a blog post, you need a clear idea, a topic on which you will focus. That should suggest some keywords that will influence the search engines. You need a creative hook to engage readers, you need to do your research (from experience, on the internet or from books), and then you should order your ideas and get it all clear in your mind.

Let the writing flow. Then go back and tidy it up. Add some links and a photo, add a summary, and decide where you want your readers to go when they finish your post.

Ask them to subscribe to this blog. Ask them to link to this blog. Suggest they should read more of this blog.

Or simply link to a post that they absolutely must read or the whole world will drown in sub-standard, so-called ‘content‘.

Related posts:

1. 10 ways to write scannable web copy
2. Stop writing! That's enough 'content' already
3. Six ways to get more original ideas into your blog posts

One of the cardinal rules for writing a successful blog is to write with ‘authority.’

Brian Clark of Copyblogger, who himself is without doubt one of the leading authorities on successful blog writing and internet marketing, makes it one of the cornerstones of his advice.

He has released a free e-book on the subject, one I can recommend, and which makes a powerful case for why one should always use an authoritative tone of voice on a blog.

Is it morally right to pretend you are an ‘authority’ on a subject just so you can build a blog?

Brian is by no means alone in offering this advice. The message is the same everywhere you turn. Darren Rowse of Problogger says the same, as do scores of other bloggers. Now, I’m in no position to argue with these folks. They know far more about how to build a successful blog than I do. (Hey, they even post regularly, which is more than I can claim).

I have little doubt that they are correct. If you want a successful blog, if you want to make money and sell e-books and the rest, then you should follow their advice.

They are right.

Up to a point.

Because there is a wider question. Is it always honest to do this? Is it morally right to pretend you are an ‘authority’ on a subject just so you can build a blog?

You can end up with the absurd situation where someone’s first blog is a blog about how to blog. You can see why. Blogging is a subject they are researching, so they blog about it as way of learning. That’s cool. But why the authoritative tone of voice?

We have the situation now, online, where people can establish themselves as an authority on a subject thanks to their ability to launch a successful blog.

Is that a good thing? At least it’s a powerful testament to the importance of knowing how to write well – so maybe I shouldn’t be complaining.

A twenty year old offering life wisdom runs the risk of sounding like a complete bl**dy idiot.

However, what about – and I’m going to show my age here – what about when you come across some blog where someone is solemnly offering you the benefits of their wisdom, their insights into life and how it should be lived, and you go to the ‘about’ page and discover they are aged 22 or something.

I’m not making this up. The internet seems to be full of people in their early twenties who think they have life sussed.

I’m sorry if this is offensive to anyone in their early twenties, but the older you get, the more you realise how little you really know.

You see, there is a danger to always writing with ‘Authority’. Sometimes it comes across as dishonest, or pompous, or foolish, or comical. A twenty year old offering life wisdom runs the risk of sounding like a complete bl**dy idiot. Especially when you realise that the sum of their wisdom comes down to chat up lines and how to pick up girls while making easy money on the internet.

I have links I could be using here, evidence and examples. But I’ve decided not to use them. I don’t want to attack anyone personally, or even to discourage anyone from writing their thing, or doing things their own way.

But I do want to sound a note of caution about the overuse of the authoritative tone of voice.

For one thing, since everyone else is doing it, all those blogs end up sounding a bit the same.

And there has to be room for a little humility here and there. There have to be times when, even if we’re writing about subjects we know well, we have to admit we’re not world-leading experts, gurus or philosophers.

I suppose what I’m trying to say is that I’ve become a little jaded and tired of the authoritative blog voice. I’ve become suspicious of it.

I tend to assume that people who write this way are trying to sell me something. And that’s not good, because then they start to lose my trust.

I guess when that happens, then something has gone wrong, and it just needs to be fixed. So, I suppose what I’m struggling to say here is… write with authority by all means (especially when you have some), but please… remember to give it a sanity check once in a while.

‘Cos you know what? No one likes a know-it-all.

No related posts.

Let me ask you a hypothetical question: what’s the best way to make money during a gold rush?

I’m sure you’ve heard this one before: the best way to make cash during a gold rush is to sell shovels.

All those crazy people dreaming of getting rich, they all to need to buy a shovel or two.

What does this have to do with blogging? Well, the dream of making easy money online is kinda like a gold rush.

Someone makes a pile and word gets round. Sooner or later, someone else makes money too. Suddenly everyone rushes in.

There’s a mad frenzy of excitement. Most people do an awful lot of digging, an awful lot of work for little or nothing. But so long as someone somewhere is making money, there will always be new dreamers hoping to strike it rich – and lining up to buy a shovel.

So they start their blogs and get writing. But there’s so much they don’t understand, and so much they need. Like hosting, and a template, maybe some design. They might buy some e-books on how to make money online, or how to blog, or how to sell ebooks. You get the drift.

Who’s making the money? The people selling the shovels. They people selling the tools which allow you to live the dream.

Which is why most of the people who seem to make cash blogging are those who are selling information on how to blog, how to make money blogging, how to sell ebooks, premium templates and so on.

There’s nothing wrong with what they are doing, and if you want a shovel, why should they give you one for free? After all, you’re not going to cut them in on your share of the gold, now are you?

So, the moral of the tale is clear: if you want to make money from the blog rush, open up a shovel shop. Sell people the tools they need, be it information, templates, whatever.

You won’t get rich quick. But you can always run a blog or two on the side, just in case you strike lucky.

Related posts:

1. Master keywords, master money, find an online course and get more done
2. To boldly blog: what the Ferengi can teach us about online content
3. End of an era: online satire will never be the same again

The use of the snarky tone of voice is very popular in blogging and online generally. Is that because readers respond well to it? I don’t think so.

People snark because its easy to do, and it has a built in self-defence mechanism. It says: “Don’t bother disagreeing, ‘cos I don’t care.”

It’s the punk rock of writing, and for that reason alone I’m willing to forgive it. To an extent. Because I’m old enough to remember the heyday of punk, and I thought it was great.

Just as punk is better than bland pop, snark is better than boring writing or lame blog posts any day.

But the problem is that most snarkers don’t sound like Johnny Rotten. They sound more like a postpunk, grown-old tribute band, apeing the sound of their heroes, but creating nothing original. Not being themselves. Pretending, believing the daydream. Copying someone else’s attitude.

What’s so punk about that?

No, snarky blogging is too easy. Too predictable, and usually not funny. Just like sarcasm.

And ultimately it will repel readers, because it becomes tiresome. The joke goes stale. And the attitude wears thin.

It’s much better in the long run to find your own tone of voice, not copy a received snarkiness.

Of course, if you don’t agree, you can always go snark me to bits in the comments (although I have the power of deletion…)

No related posts.