How to Blog Like an Expert

By: | December 27, 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Expert Blogging AdviceMy readers were confused.

My plan for giving them expert blogging advice failed.

I was hoping to start a Frequently Asked Questions page on my site. You know, a FAQ.

There was only one problem. No one left any questions about blogging, so I took the page down.

However, I am driven to help my fellow bloggers. If they won’t bring the questions to me, I will bring the questions to them, and I have.

I have spent the last several months collecting common questions that readers have asked. I present them to you now with the answers.

Too many bloggers are confused about routine blogging tasks. If you read these tips, you will be able to blog like the experts quoted in the article.

6 Frequently Asked Blogging Questions and Expert Advice

Question 1:  I was wondering if you have a post (or could recommend one somewhere else) about creating lists. I keep reading recommendations that blogs should create list posts (such as top 10 lists), and I’m curious about whether there’s an easier way, such as a WordPress plug-in, for creating them.

Answer 1:  Yes, I do have a post about creating lists! Check this out
I have not heard of a plug-in, but the advice in my post makes it sound pretty easy. As you’ll see by the comments, many readers seemed to find it helpful.

 

Q2What’s the etiquette for including someone else’s post in a list post? Do I need permission to link to their article and their photo as long as I give credit?
 

 

A2: You do not need permission to include a link. If you use ideas that aren’t yours, or cite writing that isn’t yours, you need to link to the person who came up with the ideas or the quote.
Regarding the photo: You must give credit if it’s not your own photo. Even then, be cognizant of the rules.  For example, Flickr has Creative Commons which is photo sharing with attribution (giving credit), but not all their photographers want their photos shared for free even with attribution. MorgueFiles and GoogleRoyaltyFree Images are two free photo sharing sites.
I prefer using my own photos so I don’t have to deal with licensing concerns.

 

Q3: I wanted to see if you had any suggestions on possible ways to ask an influencer to be a mentor.

A3: How to ask an influencer to be a mentor:
For a price, you can ask Jon Morrow. His blog is BoostBlogTraffic. He charges $600.00 for his year-long guest blogging class, and I think $2,000 to mentor people. I also have a mentorship program.
For free: I don’t think you could get influencers to mentor you; however, you can get them to promote your writing to their many followers.
1. Find the influencers in your blogging niche. Topsy is great for this.
2. Follow them on Twitter and Google+.
3. Include their name in your blog post. This could be in the reference or “sources” section, or you could embed a quote from one of their articles in the text of your post.
4. Send it to them on Twitter and Google+.
5. If they don’t share it, politely ask them to share it “if they have a moment.”
As far as other tips for growing your Email list, networking really does go a long way. Find like-minded bloggers, people who’ve visited your site or other’s sites that you visit. Visit them and respond to their articles.

Q4: Should photography be put on Pinterest boards?

A4: Yes, absolutely! Travel photography is one of the most sought after articles on Pinterest, according to Pinterest expert Beth Hayden. Photography showing food is the most popular type of photography on Pinterest. Make sure you use a hashtag in your graphic description, so people searching Pinterest can find your photo. (For more information on using text to describe your photos, see the answer to Question #6).

Q5: How long should a blog post be?

A5: I can answer that in one word– long. There are articles out there that will contradict this advice. However, the blogging experts say the longer the better for search engines to be able to find and rank your article.

Neil Patel writes that he never publishes a post under 2,000 words. Kevin Duncan will not let a guest author post on his site if the article is less than 1,500 words. According to James Chartrand, 500 words may not be bad, but by today’s standards is not very good. Mary Jaksch agrees that Google ranks longer posts higher.

According to Chartrand, with 152 million blogs to choose from, readers want thoughtful, high quality, informative, interesting, well-written content.

Q6: We need to teach bloggers how to appropriately add text to their pins.  It is very simple, when uploading images to add text in the alternative text box. A blog in the making perhaps?

A6: I wrote a tutorial explaining how to do put an image in a blog comment. In the post, I included a screenshot showing how to add text to the alternative text box. It is crucial bloggers fill that in if they want their graphics to be found, yet many skip filling it in. I would advise taking every opportunity you have for searches to find your work.

How to fill in the alt text box

Clicking the pencil icon will enable you to edit your graphic and add a relevant hash tag and description to the alt text box.

Conclusion

In closing, if you follow the tips in this post, you will blog like the experts quoted in the article.

Readers, clearly, I no longer have a Frequently Asked Questions page. If you have any additional questions, please add them in the comments section. Do you know any additional answers to these questions? I look forward to your views.

These are commonly asked questions on many blogging tips sites. Please share, so other bloggers get the benefit of the answers.

Related Posts:

This is the Way to See Staggeringly High Blog Traffic– StumbleUpon (The article answers questions about StumbleUpon.)

How to Have a Winning Combination of Blog Factors
How to Be a Better Blogger with Quora

Source: 

Tips for Blog Writers

  1. Margaretha

    Very useful information. I really must fill inthey alternative text box with my photos. New Year’s Resolution.

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Margaretha,
      You commented first, so you can’t see what others are writing. Many echoed your comment!
      I am glad you found that tip helpful.
      Happy early New Year.
      Janice

  2. melinda

    BBFF Janice, where do you find your subjects to photograph?? They are always so interesting, and on point.
    When you taught me about adding alt text, I was so happy to learn more about how to up my SEO!!
    Your BBFF, Melinda

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Melinda,
      Thank you for writing.
      What a nice question about my photos. I can’t tell you how very much your question means to me. I have never considered myself a terribly creative sort. My creativity comes out through my blog graphics and to an extent my posts.
      The bottom line is out-of-the-box creative thinking. You need to have foresight that one day you MIGHT need the photo for a blog post. Especially you. If you see an interesting purple photo, take it. My phone is always with me, so I always have a camera with me.
      I am so excited you are asking me this! Can you tell the photo for this post is a purse in the shape of a telephone? How cool! I saw it at Macy’s Department Store. I thought: Maybe one day, I will have a post about calling someone. This post was about asking expert advice. I thought of the Ghost Busters movie, “Who You Gonna Call?” not Ghost Busters, but the experts.
      Your comments made me feel great as always my BBFF Melinda,
      Your BBFF J

      • melinda

        Yes, I could tell it was a purse! I’m seriously Jonesing for it too!! I don’t collect purses, but I’d think about for that one!
        You are very creative, don’t denigrate yourself!
        My phone is sooo not very good. It’s shutter speed is glacial. That’s why I seldom get a pix of PP’s face, she’s already turned around by the time the flash comes!
        Getting a “real” camera is one of my goals for 2016.
        So glad you enjoy my comments!
        BBFF, Melinda

        • Janice Wald

          Happy new year Melinda. What does Jones mean? I never heard the expression.
          Glacial you are so funny
          Thank you for writing tonight. You will be one of my last commenters as well as the most frequent of 2015.
          Your BBFF J

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Rena,
      Your name says Rena. It would have been much easier had I known your first name the night I tried to discover your true identity. Boy, did you have me going!
      Great to hear from you. I hope your holidays were happy. I’m glad you liked the tips in the post.
      The girls are in town from college, so I needed something I could compose quickly. I had a collection of questions, so I thought, a FAQ post!
      Thanks again for visiting me today. Great to see you here in our virtual world.
      Janice

  3. Anonymous

    Great post 🙂
    I love that I always learn something new, thank you so much for that 🙂

    • Janice Wald

      Thank you so very much. You are coming in as “Anonymous”. May I ask the identity of the person who wrote me such nice compliments?
      Janice

  4. mysticalwriter12

    Thank you so much for sharing your blogging tips, I have found them to be very helpful. I do have one question, yes, I will ask it!(lol) How do you add an icon or badge to your site? I have looked in many different places on WP, they can be overwhelming! There must be an easier way to add them. Do you have to have a premium account to add them?

    Thank you for any words of wisdom!

    • Janice Wald

      Hi MysticalWriter,
      Thank you for checking in with me this weekend. I really appreciate your visits.
      I am now on WordPress.org, so I don’t have knowledge about WP premium accounts; however, I can answer your question. There are two ways I know of to add an icon or badge to your site.
      1. Copy-paste code. WordPress.com users can do this. In the edit mode, click HTML, and you can paste code. Get the code from the place where you found the icon or badge.
      For example, on my Bloggers Pit Stop linky party,
      https://mostlyblogging.com/bloggers-pit-stop-linky-party-1/
      Kathleen, one of the host, asks people to have the banner on their site. She gives the code for them to copy and then paste on their site.
      2. Before I became comfortable with code, I would take a screen shot, put it into Paint, and upload it to my site. Beware you might be violating copyright restrictions if you do this. I remember about a month into blogging, I was nominated for the Liebster Award which gave me the right to have the badge on my site. I don’t remember if someone sent it to me or if I captured it via screenshot, but I didn’t copy the code back then.
      Janice

  5. Mark

    Thanks for sharing some of your proven insights Janice!

    I keep seeing these references to Pinterest and the tons of
    traffic that particular social media platform consistently provides.

    And yet, here I am totally missing in action!LOL!

    And thanks for sharing all of these excellent resources!They’ll will definitely
    keep me treasuring hunting!

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Mark,
      Let me know what your social media needs are. I am always happy to help. Thank you for the kind words about my post.
      Janice

  6. Patty

    Hi Janice,
    So many people say most of their traffic comes from pinterest. For me, Stumblupon brings the most traffic, but with pinterest, I feel like I’m missing something. Is it wrong to repin your own pins from your board and then delete them later since it seems quicker, or do you need to upload the picture and retype the text each time you pin your own pins? Is it ok to pin from your own website? Is it necessary to pin 3 times a day and at least 25 pins a day to receive good traffic?

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Patty,
      I think the amount of Pinterest traffic one gets is in direct relationship to the type of blogger they are.
      For example, if I recall correctly, I believe you are a DIY blogger.
      DIY (Do It Yourself, crafts, recipes…) bloggers get the most Pinterest traffic.
      StumbleUpon bring my most traffic as well since I started our blog’s StumbleUpon group.
      In answer to your questions:
      Is it wrong to repin your own pins from your board and then delete them later since it seems quicker?
      Pins get pushed down by newer pins. I don’t understand why people need to delete them. I have been asked them a number of times. Since they get pushed down by newer pins, newer members of the group board or more recent Pinterest followers of yours will not have seen them. I would just repin without deleting.
      I was reading Daniela Uslan’s Pinterest article today, and she echoes this.
      2. Upload and retype? No. Just repin.
      3. Is it okay to pin from your own website? Yes.but try to promote other people’s pins too if you can.
      4. Daniela Uslan explained she pins only one pin a day to each group board, no more than twice.
      As far as I go, I use Ahalogy, a Pinterest pin scheduler. It says that the pins are scheduled for the best performing times. I don’t question computers or automation. Ahalogy wouldn’t have the waiting list it has unless it was effective. I always check what Ahalogy schedules for me. The one pin only goes to the different boards about twice a day. If I have 20 boards, one pin might take ten days to schedule.
      Some people have a brand. If their pins look alike, and they pin that much, it will look like they are trying to be a spammer. Thank you for your questions.
      Janice

  7. Mona AlvaradoFrazier

    Excellent info. I use Flickr photos (creative commons) and they are the easiest for me to search for and use for my blog posts.
    Thank you for the valuable suggestion to place hashtags on the photos, Alt text, and Pinterest photos. Seems like I’ve missed opportunities.
    I do have a question: Stumbleupon isn’t one of the SM buttons on my WordPress. Can I download this from somewhere to place with my SM buttons?

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Mona,
      I remembered after I wrote it that Pixabay also offers free photos.
      I have instructions for you about how to put the StumbleUpon button back:
      https://mostlyblogging.com/power-of-stumbleupon-how-to-add-sharing-button-to-wordpress-com/
      That article ends with Sue Coletta giving the instructions, so be sure to click her link at the end of the article.
      When you click the link, the instructions are at the end of her article.
      Thanks for your question. I’m sure others at WP.com wonder too.
      Janice

      • Mona AlvaradoFrazier

        Thanks, Janice! I appreciate the link to the article. Hopefully, I’ll grow my blog another 25% this year by implementing your tips.

  8. Pingback: How to Blog Like an Expert
    • Janice Wald

      Hi Judy! I haven’t seen you in a while. How have you been? Thank you for the kind words about my articles. Happy new year to you. Great to see you again.
      Janice

  9. Lois Alter Mark

    Great information. It’s amazing how much there is to continually learn about blogging even after doing it for years!

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Lois! Thanks for visiting my site and the compliments on my post! Great to see you here!
      Janice

  10. Pingback: 5 SEO Tips To Double Your Blog Traffic in the New Year
  11. Lois Hoffman

    Great post and timely, too! I woke up with a few blogging questions this morning. I’ve been blogging on a self-hosted WP blog for a year about writing, self-publishing and book marketing. I’ve seen other bloggers on BlogHer and other blogging sites. What are the advantages/disadvantages, which sites might be the best for me to consider and do you use the same posts in both/all of the other blogging platforms? Any wisdom you have for me would be great. Thanks!

    • Janice Wald

      HI Lois,
      I am sorry I didn’t see your comment sooner or I would have responded earlier.
      1. I am only familiar with Google’s Blogger, WordPress.com and WordPress.org.
      I was on Google’s Blogger about a month over a year ago. I was unhappy with it and soon switched.
      I don’t remember it well enough to comment other than to say only people with a Google account could easily comment.
      However, I found an article which may help:
      https://mostlyblogging.com/blog-critiques/
      2. As far as having duplicate content on different blogging platforms, I heard a rumor that Google penalizes for that, so I wouldn’t do it just to be sure.
      Thanks for writing.
      Again, forgive my delay.
      Janice

  12. Debbie

    Very useful post. I have used my own photos for a long time, but recently also started using Pixabay (after a reader recommended it!). The pictures are good quality, free, and require no attribution.

    Thanks for sharing on Blogger’s Pit Stop! 😉 Happy new year!

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Debbie,
      I may have mentioned Pixabay in the comments. I forgot about it when writing the article since I no longer use it. It’s a good site to keep in the back of my mind for when I don’t have a photo I need handy.
      Janice

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Jennifer,
      I just came from your site. How did you get 2016 in the beach? Very cool. I am glad you liked my blogging question post. I plan on continuing to write them each time I get approximately 10 new questions.
      You indicated you were a new blogger. I help new bloggers here. In half an hour, I am hosting a big virtual New Year’s party. I hop you will come to meet other bloggers.
      Janice

  13. melinda

    Hi Janice,
    “Jonesing” for something means you want it so bad, you’re like an addict looking for their next fix.
    I’m so glad I was one of your last commenters last year!
    Looking forward to many more comments this year!!
    Your BBFF, Melinda

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Noel,
      Thanks for your compliments on my post AND the purse! LOL =)
      Janice

  14. Janelle (JEM)

    I always worried my posts were too long. I am glad to read that 1,500 to 2,000 words is the norm.

    Your site brings me a ton of traffic. In my top 10 referrals. Yay!

    Jem

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Jem,
      How exciting! Thanks for telling me. And you finished in my top five best commenters of 2015!
      Janice

  15. Melissa

    Thanks for sharing so many good tips! The Alt Text on images advice is something I finally started implementing last year, and have seen good results from.

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Melissa,
      Thank you so much for commenting on my post. I am glad the Question/Answer format was received so favorably.
      It is important to fill in the Alt Text, so people can find you when searching.
      Thank you for the visits and the comments.
      Janice

  16. Pingback: Here Are the 29 Great Reasons You Should Use Medium to Blog Now
  17. Pingback: How to Rock Your Blog Photos for Free with Snapseed
  18. d

    I am a newbie blogger,i am currently learning some tips to blog better and i am really happy to see your tips on how to become an expert blogger

    • Janice Wald

      Hi,
      Thank you for the kind words about my blog. You have come to the right site. I help new bloggers here. I encourage you to sign up to receive my blog posts, so you don’t miss an article.
      Janice

  19. Izrael

    Hey!

    I just started blogging about a year ago and I find that the tips you gave are helpful in someways. There are lots who blog for business purposes. I can see it through their professional style of writing. But for someone who just writes for passion, I found it difficult to make mine into a blooming blog. Writing poetry or stories does not really compels readers to my blog but rather just lots of writers from the community itself. But thanks for the awesome tips once again! Much love <3

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Izrael,
      1. Thank you for your thoughtful comments. I understand how you feel; I really do. However, I honestly feel you could find like-minded bloggers at my site to share your literature with. First, I have a Link Exchange where bloggers in my community are grouped by nice. If you scroll down to Writing, the literary niche is the biggest one I have. Here is the link: https://www.mostlyblogging.com/link-exchange/
      Next, I have two blog parties a month where bloggers from all niches come and network. One of my best blogging friends, Gary, is a fiction writer. He follows back anyone who writes him at the party. Another one of my best blogging friends, Debby, is a published author. If you subscribe, you will be notified of my blog parties. Also, there are other tips on my site besides how to increase traffic. For example, I offer productivity tips, technology tips, and inspirational tips to help bloggers. I encourage you to give it a month, and then if it doesn’t work out for you, you can unsubscribe, and I will certainly understand.
      Janice

Would you like to share your thoughts?

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Instagram
Pinterest
fb-share-icon
LinkedIn
Share
%d bloggers like this: