Blog better every day: My daily blog tips from April 2011

Throughout 2011, I share a daily blog tip via my Twitter account, @WadeOnTweets, at 7 a.m. CDT.

You can …

• Ask follow-up questions in the comments.
• Tweet out your favorites.
• Follow #DailyBlogTip on Twitter.
• And follow me on Twitter at @WadeOnTweets.

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The tips for April …

1. Don’t be fooled: Blogging can be hard work. But it can also have deep rewards.
2. Does each post have visual appeal? Even 2 extra minutes spent on photos can make your site stand out.
3. Plugins add functionality to your site, but they also slow it down. Be judicious in what you add.
4. If you care about something enough to blog about it, you will find an audience. Indifference kills.
5. I’d rather deal with plagiarists, scrapers and content thieves than having a site not worth stealing.
6. Want a crash course in headline writing? Scan through the front page of CNN.com all day long.
7. Involve your community: Ask, interact, offer specials, recruit volunteers. Turn one-way into two-way.
8. Strong headlines make marketing through social media way easier. Write compelling, clear ones for impact.
9. Your blog strategy needs a plan, tied to action steps and deadlines. Map out how your blog will succeed.
10. Give mobile visitors a choice: Special mobile version or regular desktop version.
11. Good audio for your video posts isn’t difficult. Buy a microphone, test it and use it.
12. In changing platforms, research who can help with upgrades, fixes and design over long haul.
13. Don’t let hackers into your blog: Use long random alphanumeric passwords, and store them securely.
14. Want more comments? Ask questions, take an unexpected stance and pursue hot button topics.
15. Your blog can have multiple communities: commenters, Facebook, Twitter, newsletter, forums.
16. Marketing your blog begins with knowing what your blog’s focus, audience and goal.
17. Create an editorial calendar. Guide your blog through the year with a crafted plan of attack.
18. Consider a mobile-only blog, one that caters to those always on the go, or live the computer-free life.
19. Edit your posts. Edit your posts. Edit your posts!
20. You test-drive cars. Be sure to test-drive platforms before committing to one.
21. For WordPress users, upgrading software is an important but easy step in keeping your site secure.
22. Even high-traffic blogs receive few comments. Not best metric for determining site quality or audience.
23. Any blog can have tons of posts. Community takes dedication, interaction and camaraderie.
24. Share your blog posts via social media over and over. Rewrite and refocus. Promote your good content.
25. Start comment club with 10 reliable bloggers. Trade comments on member sites regularly. -@johnchow
26. Exclusive mobile content: dining tips, grocery lists for recipes, short stories, slideshows, fun videos.
27. Photos to use: ones you shot, public domain, bought stock photos, Creative Commons, secured permission.
28. Support plugin developers by buying their work or donating directly to them.
29. Place your copyright notice with current year in the footer.
30. Best comment system allows readers to rate comments and sort them by rating, reply in threads.

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