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It has only been within this current year when I realized a serious difference in the way I was generating traffic for my blogs. I realized that it is no longer any use to me to simply link to great articles. It is an epic waste of time.

I am no longer concerning myself with posting frequency on my own blogs; instead, I will be focusing on creating only quality content. It doesn’t matter if it requires one day or one week, I will only publish original and quality content.

There are reasons for this:

Originality—original content is content that others talk about. When you look at news sites, social sites, etc., they are buzzing with original content. Original content generates interest by readers. We desire this originality, and we eat it up. So, feed your readers some originality.

Traffic-the amount of traffic I receive from completely original content, as opposed to that which has been written about before, makes writing anything but original and unique content a waste of time for me and my readers. I’m not going to make a name for myself by doing anything else other than be the creator of spectacular content.

Subscribers-when I write truly unique and quality content, I earn those reader’s trust. I earn subscribers. I know my audience, and I know that they are fairly technical. They subscribe to content, and they know what is going on throughout the blogosphere. I would not dare to bother them with the same content they have already read. Instead, I want to be the creator of the content they will read everywhere else on the web.

Links—truly unique and quality content has a great chance of generating links. Your common resource articles are, for the most part, great, and they do generate a nice amount of links. Will that be enough though? If you can write original, unique content that no one else can easily replicate, you have truly created a masterpiece that will be linked to by dozens, if not hundreds, of blogs.

Marketing—the ability to market quality content is easier than sub-par content. If you expect a piece to get noticed by the bigger fish, and you plan on attracting advertisers, the more unique your content, the better off you are.

Wasted Efforts

Another point is the fact that a lot of great blog posts just get pushed away by lower quality content. Now, I admit, it is necessary to let your readers know you are alive, but why give your readers with content that is just as bad as most of the other content they are subscribed to? Is it really worth it?

Future Demands

If I were looking at this situation from a competitive standpoint (which I don’t), I would be delighted with the fact that people believe they need to put out content every day. It’s those very bloggers who will be linking to my content and passing their readers onto me. This is what I want; this is my edge. If everyone worked as hard as I did to create original content, there would be little chance that I could make a living doing this.

I’ve previously stressed the fact that, in the future, people are going to want original content in the future. Those blogs that simply link elsewhere are in serious trouble, and I am even more convinced as I have experienced that same situation. No longer is it just enough to simply offer an opinion; it requires hard work to create impressive content.

It’s easy to search through hundreds of feeds and find great content to share with your readers—you might even offer some insight to the existing content, but this way of commercial blogging is going to come under pressure. Tools are already being developed which will render those types of blogs ineffective.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you believe that quality content is better than the amount of content the blog publishes?

Welcome to the first installment of a brand new series here on Performancing called Blogging Tactics. This series will tackle a number of different subjects related to blogging and will offer up tips, suggestions and tactics to accomplish a specific goal. Today’s goal, building reader participation.

When I started blogging, it took quite awhile before people would stop by to simply leave a comment. This seems to happen with every blogger. At the beginning, it’s like yelling down an echo chamber. Getting people to comment can be a frustrating task as you can’t control whether someone spends the time to do so or not. Outside of commenting, there are other ways in which you could encourage participation which we’ll cover later in this article.

Commenting:

Blogs are a two way communication medium. It is the one aspect of a blog where new interactions can take place, where new relationships are born. There are numerous ways in which to create that commenting atmosphere:

Be Controversial – Writing content that is controversial opens the door for more possibilities, as the controversial subject usually doesn’t have a black or white answer.

Be Outlandish – Writing something outlandish can generate either positive or negative comments, depending upon how outlandish the content is.

Ask Questions – This tactic has been proven to work time and time again. Asking questions gives the reader a chance to really digest your content and encourage thoughtful participation. Although, this doesn’t work all of the time. There are many bloggers who ask questions all the time which go unanswered. It’s been known that if you are passionate about what it is you are writing about, you’ll naturally ask questions that matter.

Be Wrong – I really don’t like this method of generating comments as it could have a negative impact on your credibility. If you write content that is blatantly wrong, people will stop at nothing to let you know about what it is that is wrong while also giving you a beating. Only use this as a last resort if you are really that desperate for comments.

Be Open Ended – Content which is written in an open ended format tends to do very well with generating comments as it leaves room for the reader to expand upon the initial set of thoughts. Writing content which ends up being a complete thought is an excellent way to keep people from leaving comments. SO DON’T DO IT.

The Comment Form:

The design of your comment form on your blog can also play a role in whether someone comments or not. For example, most blog themes highlight the number of comments which have been left on a particular article. If there are 0 comments, does your comment form ask readers to chime in? A few examples I’ve seen include blogs which state “Jump In And Leave A Comment”, “The Waters Warm, Come Join Us”, “No One Has Commented Yet, Be The First”. Although some of these leave a lot to be desired, giving readers a warm invitation to be part of the conversation is the method that works best.

How easy is it for readers to comment? Do you have 30 different CAPTCHA methods that humans must jump through just to have there thoughts published on your blog? Thankfully, Akismet and other anti spam measures have really stepped up their game and have allowed bloggers to have an open comment system without much in the way of CAPTCHA systems. Having one CAPTCHA system in place could be on too many. If implementing a CAPTCHA system, make sure it’s something that is not insanely difficult for humans to decipher. Don’t add more than one different system. These are just added hoops for your readers to jump through and believe me, unless they are seriously devoted to you, readers will move on to the next blog.

Continue The Conversation

If your content generates comments, the worst thing you could do is not respond. This in turn would end the conversation. Answer questions presented by the commenter’s, further the discussion by conversing with those who took the time to stop by and contribute to your thoughts and expressions. Too many times I see blogs in which the author writes incredibly juicy content only to have the stream of comments stop because the conversation grinds to a halt from the failure of the blog author responding to the comments.

Forums:

Forums are another way of increasing participation. Users can register their own account, start up their own conversations and participate in the discussions already taking place. Unlike a blog, the audience isn’t confined to the thoughts and expressions of one author.

Blogs are usually niche content related websites while Forums open up the conversation to discuss a number of different subjects. Using a blog in conjunction with a forum has some differences. The first being that a blog is used as a broadcast medium. Once you publish a post, that post is out their for the world to see and is open for discussion. With forums, the posts are on a one on one basis. Because forums are groups of registered members generally with the same interests closed from outside participation, they become one on one conversations.

Bloggers can use forums to expand upon their subject matter. Or, you can use blogs to expand interaction with your content while at the same time, giving the users a chance to create content of their own. Forums are one of the best ways to give a sense of community to a blog, but be warned. Just because a blog is successful and rakes in a number of comments does not mean the same result will take place with your forum.

Join A Social Network

There are so many different social networks now available on the web, there is bound to be one or two that are dedicated to your niche. These social networks are communities of people with the same interests. Joining a social network pertaining to the subjects you write about on your blog is an excellent way to expand your audience.

Join A Social Bookmarking Service

Social bookmarking services are those services centered around bookmarks being shared by users across the net. These bookmarks are sites in which a user as deemed useful, or quality content to come back to later. Social bookmarking services such as Ma.gnolia, BlinkList, del.icio.us and Technorati are all good ones to start out with. Use these services to your advantage to spread your content to a wider audience. Also, make it easier on your own blog for users of these same services to share your content.

Join A Related Forum

This still works. Joining a forum related to the topics you cover on your blog can help you create new one on one relationships with people of the same interest. Many forums also allow you to link to your own content as long as it relates to the forum thread being discussed. Also keep in mind that you can use the SIGNATURE line in forums to promote your site. This will come in handy when you write good quality forum posts and become a prominent member of their community.

Commenting On Other Blogs

I can attest to this technique working. Find other blogs related to your niche and comment on them. I’m not talking about the “great article, visit my site” type of comments. I’m talking about the comments which could just as well be a blog post. Writing informative comments on blog posts can do wonders for your own blog. Ever have someone write an excellent comment on your own blog? I bet you visited the URL they linked to within their comment. I’ve used this method to spread the word about my blog while also discovering new blogs/websites which were worthy of subscribing to.

Create A Live Podcast

Using services such as Talkshoe or BlogTalkRadio.com, you can create a live interactive podcast. I’ve been doing this for quite awhile now with WordPress Weekly and it’s been a big success for me. It’s generated inbound links, conversation in comments but also conversation in audio form. I’ve had people call in and discuss the news of the week with me, talk about their experiences ect. Podcasts offer an incredible opportunity for readers of your site to communicate with you in a different medium. It’s almost like audio comments.

Live Blog

Although this would work out great to live blog events as they are happening, you don’t need an event to happen in order to live blog. James did a great job showcasing another aspect of Live Blogging the other day when he showcased the Cover It Live service. Instead of covering an event, schedule a live blogging time and start blogging live for an hour or so. Give your readers a chance to interact with you in real time. Have a discussion with them. It’s your chance to tap into your audience without any lag time. Shoot the bull and answer their questions.

Conclusion

This post could go on and on for days, perhaps years in terms of how to get more participation out of your readers. By now, you should have a good idea (or two or three) on how to increase reader participation for your own blog. Treat comments like gold. The majority of bloggers are lucky to see 10 comments in a week, let alone 100 in a day. Keep the creative juices flowing by sharing your thoughts and ideas on how to increase reader participation.

Let me know what you would like to see covered within the Blogging Tactics series. Next up, Blogging Tactics: Start your posts off with a question

You have a blog, good job, but that is only half the battle. You have much more work to do if you want to reach greatness. It is a long road to reach greatness. Ranging from the obvious to the complicated, this should serve as a basic checklist for your blog.

Security

Do you know those people who use a zip code, a phone number, a pet name, and any weird but common thing as their password? Well, they are probably the one’s who should take this part very seriously. Your blog might be a hobby, it might be your bread and butter, and it might even be more than that, but if you let a hacker destroy everything, it just makes you seem like a fool.

Browser Compatibility

I use Firefox. Firefox is amazing. Firefox just works. Firefox is, well, Firefox, of course. However, not everyone uses Firefox. Some people use Internet Explorer, Opera, Safari, Camino, WebKit, Linx, and other available browsers. It wouldn’t be wise to alienate a certain group of people just they use an alternative browser. Unfortunately, people still do this. Don’t be one of them—always check for browser compatibility.

Use Protection

Because some people have no lives or work for people who have no lives, we have to deal with spam on a daily basis. So, of course, those same people with no lives would find ways to exploit the blogosphere as well. Thankfully, Akismet and Defensio are here to help. Install either of these plugins and live (somewhat) spam-free.

Create Backups

Trust me, you want to avoid a horror story like I told when I first joined Performancing. It is truly a devastating experience to lose extremely valuable data. To me, my blog is valuable. I learned the hard way, but I now make daily automated backups and weekly manual backups. You’ll never appreciate this as much until you lose it all, and trust me, you should hope you never have to use them.

Cover Your Assets

Creating a terms of service agreement is important; there are significant legal implications without one. This is one of those “don’t leave home without it” type things. Our judicial system is anything but logical, but if you have a terms of use and privacy policy, you are doing a good job of protecting yourself from your readers.

Get Personal

People like to know that their opinion is being heard. That, in essence, is what blogging is all about. However, those who read your content should have the ability to voice their opinion as well. Many of these people don’t have the time to create a dedicated blog post just for your efforts. So, make it your objective to allow people to leave feedback. Post links to your email, instant messaging handle, Twitter account, and more. Readers appreciate this sort of thing.

Obviously Now

Some of us have the advantage of having a great domain name. Performancing is a great domain name, but, unfortunately, it is doubtful that everyone knows what Performancing is about when first hearing about it. To be brutally honest, it sounds more like a company selling steroids. Well, I can assure you there is no human growth hormone here. However, the moment you visit this site, you can easily see that this blog is about helping bloggers to succeed. Make it this obvious on your blog as well.

Use FeedBurner

FeedBurner is quite interesting, and it does have all those cool statistics and whatnot, but the real reason to use FeedBurner is because it allows you to take your feeds with you no matter where you are blogging from. For example, I had my old blog on WordPress.com, but now I moved my blog to a dedicated domain and server at OnlyJames.com. It didn’t really hurt to make the switch because I was using FeedBurner for my old blog. So, when I made the switch, the transition was seamless.

Make A Logo

Why do logos exist? I’ll tell you why—logos exist to help identify people, products, brands, and companies. The more simple a logo is, the better. While I plan on discussing logo design in a future article, I will say that a logo should be simple and unique. It should stand up to the time.

Manage Your Archives

Archives—oh what the world would be like without them. Just as libraries and museums like to keep and maintain great archives, you should put just as much effort with your blog. The archives should serve as an easy way to find content written in the past. I’d recommend creating a listing of each month that displays the title of each post written. This is a simple solution, but if you have a lot of content, it requires much more attention.

Make an About Page

You have a blog, and while people can get to know you through simply reading your content, it is also nice to have an about page. This page should inform your readers about you, your blog, and ways the user can contact you. If you want a great example, check out my about page on my personal blog. I present details about me and my blog in a creative and interesting way.

Make an “Advertise Here” Page

If you intend on making money, you need to have the proper information on how potential advertisers can do that. However, there is also a lot more information that could be displayed. It is a very complex thing to do, and your job is to market you and your blog well. After all, you want to sell you advertising inventory—the advertising page is the one place to make a lasting impression.

Get Analytical

Having plenty of visitors is great, but knowing what they are doing and where they came from is very useful. PMetrics is a great solution. There are also other alternatives like Google Analytics. Regardless of what you use, it is important to use something. This information is also useful to potential advertisers.

Respond to Comments

Comments are a good thing. It shows that there is depth to your articles. It shows that people have been thinking throughout the reading of your article. And, finally, it shows that your readership has an interest in your content. If someone leaves a comment, you should respond. I post on several blogs, but I make a sincere effort to respond to every single comment individually. I also take a look through the archives to see if there are any new comments as well. Responding to comments (and leaving comments on his or her blog) also encourages subscriptions as well.

Promote Existing Content

What good is taking all the time and effort to create an awesome post if you are going to let it get lost with time? While news content probably isn’t worthy of resurrection, case studies, opinions, in-depth research, link-bait, and other types of articles could be great use to your readership months or even years down the road.

Optimize Feed Placement

RSS feeds are an integral part of growing a blog. In many cases, it is similar to how newspapers work. People subscribe to their content and have it delivered on a regular basis. The only difference with RSS is that the subscription is digital and, in most cases, free. Make a good habit of designing your feeds with care. Display them properly so they receive the most exposure possible.

Easy on the Eyes

As internet technology improves, so do the designs of websites. People want to create out-of-this-world mind-blowing designs, and sometimes these people forget that people, in the end, still want to be able to read the content. The number of websites I visit because of a great design can be counted on one hand. Most of these site owners spent months working on these designs as well. So, in any case, make sure your content is easy on the eyes.

Social Tools

Digg, StumbleUpon, Reddit, and Delicious are great sites to incorporate into your site’s design. All of these sites offer buttons, graphics, and APIs to do just that. Considering that some websites generate most of their traffic through social sites, it is not something to skip out on. Even a simple text link which utilizes each site’s API located at the end of each post could make a huge difference in page visits.

Be Unique

Being unique within the blogosphere is vital to success. You need to be someone special, someone, well, unique. There are many ways to accomplish this, and a simple way to start is by being yourself. Try to develop your own style for writing content. Format the content in a unique way. Do something that someone else has yet to do. People will remember you for it.

Write Original Content

No longer can you make way by reposting unoriginal content. These days, you must make a sincere effort to get an article noticed. It is crucial for the development of your blog—this is especially true while your blog is in its early growing periods.

Establish Consistency

Writing content on a regular schedule can be a great way to encourage readership to come back. People don’t want to visit your blog every Monday one week and every Thursday the following week. Those who opt to actually visit your blog, as opposed to subscribing, might become frustrated. Case in point, develop a posting schedule and stick with it.

Visual Stimulation

People, in many cases, like to have some visual stimulus. Images and videos are the easiest way to accomplish this. However, simply adding an image to a post without reason is not worth the time and effort. You don’t want to have images which distract the reader, but instead you want images that compliment the content. The content should always be the focus.

Got More?

I know there are things that I missed, but thankfully, Performancing readers have great ideas bouncing around in their heads. If you have something that every blogger should do or know any insight you’d like to add to the conversation, please add it in the comments section.

After the defining a blog post was published, a commenter by the name of SierraK came up with an interesting idea.

Actually I just came up with a completely random idea..Maybe there should be a different word for each kind of blog. Like tech blogs could have a word, self-help a different word, photography another, etc. so that rather than debate whether its a blog or a website we could discuss whether it is in the right category lol. The problem would be educating on what each of the different words stood for rather than what a general word “blog” stood for…and who would come up with the words?

I’ve seen this in action already with technology blogs being called Techlogs while Photography blogs are called Photoblogs.

I thought I would open this idea up to the Performancing community in the form of a game. The rules are, come up with a category name for a blog which pertains to a subject. Let’s see how many different ones we can come up with before we run out of ideas, or they begin to overlap each other. I’ll get us started.

• Techlog – A blog about technology in any fashion
• Photoblog – A blog based on photography
• Audiblog – A blog about music or sounds
• Autolog – A blog about automobiles and cars
• Geeklog – A blog about geeky stuff
• Infoblog – A blog about information, statistics and analysis

Ok, now its your turn.

Whenever I tell someone who isn’t as internet savvy as I am that I make money blogging, they always ask me what a blog is. When I stop to think about it, defining the term “blog” has been rather difficult for me and has always resulted in debating with myself what the differences are between a website and a blog. I end up telling this person that a blog is a personal website which is updated frequently, which in most cases it is. But how would that explain sites such as Engadget, ReadWriteWeb or TechCrunch. These are not personal websites, they are online businesses.

Let’s take a trip to Google and make use of the define:blog query and see what happens:

• A blog is a website where entries are made in journal style and displayed in a reverse chronological order. … www.sussexlearningnetwork.org.uk/glossary/B

• Online journal. The term BLOG comes from web log. www.emerge-solutions.com/learning_glossary.html

• A frequent, chronological publication of personal thoughts and Web links. www.cpseo.com/glossary.html

• A Blog style within Mambo is the listing of records in a summary form. Example: It could be by link only, or showing just the introductory text with a link to the complete text. Often the “News” page is written in Blog style. fman.by.ru/mambo/help/mambo.glossary.html

• Web LOG is a journal kept on the internet. This journal is often updated daily and contains all information that the person maintaining the BLOG (Blogger) wishes to share with the world. … www.aprompt.co.uk/support/glossary.asp

These were just the first five results with each one being a little bit different. What is a blog to you? Do you find yourself arguing the differences between a blog and a website? Are they not one in the same? Furthermore, what can be constituted as a blog rather than a website?