Shooting the Breeze

As the year comes to a close, I would like to share some of the top posts from this blog this past year.

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7 questions to ask before hitting “Publish”

1. Have I read the post in its entirety after finishing it?

I know that sounds obvious but many bloggers don’t read what they wrote before publishing it.  When we fail to do this, our post may not make sense or we may miss an important point that we wanted to make.  Take the time to read the entire post.  It is well worth the effort!

2. Have I chosen my title carefully?

I strongly believe that the title is the most important part of the post because unless the title grabs the attention of visitors, there is a good chance that they won’t read the post!  A good title should draw people in.  I have found that titles with numbers in them work well (i.e 7 awesome WordPress plugins.  Also, compelling titles (i.e. It is infinitely easier to quit than to endure and titles with questions (i.e. Do you try to take on too much by yourself?) work well too.

3. Have I proofread it?

Again, this sounds obvious but it is not! If I don’t take the time to do a thorough proofread before I hit “Publish” there will be typos and spelling mistakes … guaranteed!  If possible, have someone else proofread it for you.  I always find that helpful.

4. Have I linked to one or more of my older posts?

If you are anything like me, you have many great posts that haven’t been read by a lot of people and it’s a shame (to me anyway;).  Linking to older posts inside your post helps bring those posts out into the light.  It also helps to complement or expand on the information that you have written.

5. Have I made sure that all my links are working?

I hate clicking on broken links!  It frustrates me to no end!  Unfortunately, it does not take much to create a broken link.  All it takes is omitting a letter, a dot, or misspelling a word.  Readers will get frustrated when the link they click on doesn’t work!

6. Have I included a captivating image?

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.  If that is true then why not use one in your post? Images are a great way to entice people to read the rest of your post. I work very hard at trying to find the perfect image for each post.  I try to use my own images as much as possible.

7. Have I included one or more ways to engage with my readers?

Blogging isn’t a monologue for me.  I want to build community with my blog.  I want to engage with my readers.  To do this, I always ask a question or two or make a call to action at the end of each of my posts.

What’s 1 surefire way to get your blog post promoted?

Have some social bookmarking buttons on your blog post!

I am always shocked when I visit a blog and they don’t have any way for me (the reader) to promote or share their post.

It makes me think: Do they not want me to promote their post?

Do they want me to share it with others?

I am guessing that they do but they haven’t given me any ways to do this!

It doesn’t have to be this way!

Setting up social bookmarking buttons on your blog is actually very simple and  it is very beneficial to you and to your readers.

5 social bookmarking buttons that I use:

I do use a few others but these are the primary ones that are the most visible on my site.

1. Google + button: This allows your readers to give your post their public stamp of approval.  The next time their friends and contacts search on Google, they could see their +1 of your post.   Google + currently has over 100 million users.

2. Twitter Button:  I use the official Twitter RT button.  There are others but I prefer this one.  This button encourages readers to tweet the content they are reading on Twitter. Twitter currently has over 300 million users.

3. Digg button:  The Digg button, also known as the “Digg This” button encourages your readers to submit your content to Digg or to “Digg” your content. Digg currently has over 6 million users.

4. StumbleUpon button:  This button allows your reader to easily submit your content to StumbleUpon and you can start enjoying additional traffic from StumbleUpon users who want to see content like yours! StumbleUpon currently has over 10 million users.

5. Facebook like button:   The Like button enables users to make connections to your pages and share content back to their friends on Facebook with one click. Facebook currently has over 800 million users.

You can install these buttons manually on your blog or if you are using WordPress you can use a plugin to install them all.  I use the Sharebar plugin but another great one is the digg digg plugin.

Having social bookmarking buttons on your blog will help in the promotion and growth of your blog.  They will put your posts in front of millions of potential readers that you would have never been able to reach before.

Do you have any social bookmarking buttons on your blog?  If so, which ones?   If not, why?

As the year comes to a close, I would like to share some of the best posts from this past year.  In 2011 I had the most page views and comments since starting this blog!

Top 10 posts by traffic

These are the 10 posts that had the most page views this year. Some of them are several years old and continue to get lots of traffic from search engines.

1. Make a difference in someone else’s life today!
2. 6 ways to practice the presence of God throughout your day
3. 2 ways to get out of our comfort zone
4. 5 characteristics of a hero
5. Insecurity destroys relationships
6. God helps us handle what we are given
7. The greatest pain in life is not to die but to be ignored
8. What is your personal leadership style?
9. Following Jesus is easy?
10. True leaders are distinguished by their character!

Top 10 posts by comments

These are the 10 posts that have the highest number of comments (including my own).

1. 7 awesome WordPress plugins
2. Creating a comment policy
3. 12 essentials of good confrontation
4. The best advice for a happy marriage
5. Jump In (Guest post by Michael Perkins)
6. 6 ways to practice the presence of God throughout your day
7. Facebook and change
8. 3 ways to manage stress
9. Switching from Blogger to WordPress
10. Overcoming writer’s block

Thanks again to everyone who visits and comments on this blog. I truly appreciate you!

If you have a blog, what were some of your most visited and commented on posts?

Do you ever have those days when you just have nothing to write?  You try to write but nothing comes to mind and you end up just staring at the screen blankly for what feels like hours?

I hate this feeling but it is inevitable for anyone who writes on a regular basis.

It is good to have a strategy before you find yourself in this situation.

Ten ways to overcome writer’s block:

1.  Read a book or other blogs – This always helps me when I am struggling for new ideas.

2.  Listen to music – Music is a great inspiration for me.

3.  Go for a walk – It helps to get the blood moving and you never know what you are going to see.

4.  Take a break – Don’t force yourself to write.

5.  Change your surroundings – Try moving to a different location.

6.  Have a cup of coffee - Caffeine helps stimulate your brain.

7.  Play with your kids – You can learn a lot from them.

8.  Take a nap – Rest will help refresh you.

9. Spend time brainstorming – Instead of writing think of ideas for future posts.

10. Write a post about overcoming writer’s block.

How do you overcome writer’s block?