Jade Craven

1. Make sure your links have a standard of quality.

Lize wrote about this in a post on relationship linking.

Write down the traits you hold as a standard and look for them before you link. If you’re want a long-term relationship, go for quality and relevance before traffic. A quality blog that’s a friend for months or years has lasting value after a spike in traffic is long forgotten.

2  Use trackbacks to develop relationships

Liz talked about this further in a guest post on Problogger

Leaving a trackback on the same post where you’ve left a comment can work really well, if you are truly interested in the dialogue and the topic. Think of it as a real conversation, that you might have had with a fairly new friend. If you were truly engaged and thought of a new point on your way home, you might shoot him an email or IM to pass it along.

I dismissed trackbacks a while ago. Surprisingly, that has been my main method of making new contacts over the past month. Many people have seen multiple links back to their sites and have sent messages via the comments. Some people followed me up on social networking sites and I now have many more friends and opportunities. I made the mistake of underestimating this. You shouldn’t.

3. Think before you link

Liz discussed this further in a post on Successful blog

Will this link take my readers away forever? You wrote a post filled with good information. Check the link to make sure that readers can get back. If it’s near a key point, maybe you shouldn’t interrupt things. The link might work better at the post’s end.

I link out frequently but this tip has really made me think. I will now be observing how I click on links and apply the knowledge to this blog.

4. Give nice blog comments

Liz expanded on this in an interview on Freelance Writing Gigs

When I respond, (and I usually do, but not always) I choose my words with care. The position I take is that of a learner. I’d ask about the comment, making sure that I treated the commenter and myself with respect. I might say, “The words you’re using sound angry. I’m confused why you’re feeling that way.”

When a comment is outright disrespectful to me or to someone who visits my blog. I delete it and send an email to the person who wrote it. Once when a friend was under the influence, I wrote him offline and told him to quit commenting until he was ready to behave. My exact words were “You’re better than this.”

This quote was given about how to handle nasty blog commenters. I am yet to receive any, but I know I’d delete them because I want my blog to be a happy and supportive environment. But i do know that people respond to kindness. At worst, you may irritate or confuse a troll.

5. Focus on your audience

Liz recommend this in an interview on Daily Blog Tips

You know, I’m trying to think. The only words that come to me are that I tried too hard. I don’t think about promotion much anymore. I think about what kind of blog posts my readers like to read, what kind of blog posts I write well, and what kind of information or experience I have to share that might be useful.

I haven’t put much effort into marketing my blog. I talk about posts on twitter, but thats because I’m proud of them. I’ve done a fair bit of guest posts, but thats because I learn so much by doing them. I’ve tried to create posts that people will love and want to share. I feel that this has been a better use of my time.

6. Step off the podium

Liz gave this answer in a post on blogging without a blog

Yep, on my big blog I’ll turn 70,000 comments in the next couple of weeks. Writing for conversation is a new genre, different than any writing we’ve done before. However, if we consider what we know about conversation, it’s not really that hard to figure out. When we have a conversation, we never get a chance to “present” an entire idea fully and complete. We get to say one part. Then, it’s the other person’s turn to speak. If we say everything we know and tie up every detail thoroughly, we’re not having a conversation, we’re giving a presentation. The other person is left sitting there listening — we’ve left them no room to talk.”

This is fascinating – and something definitely worth doing. My plan is to respond to comments where people have directed a question at me, but to also include others in the discussion. I’ll be researching this quite a bit as I start getting more traffic.

7. Write as yourself

Liz gave this advice on the Chitika blog

You have to know who you are. Bring yourself into what your passion is. It may take some time to sort that out the same way it takes time to find out who you are. I don’t walk in a straight line, but I do have enough consistency that readers know that if they come to my blog on Friday, they will know that it will be something to take them into the weekend. If they come on Friday afternoon they will find the SOB Cafe. And if they come on a Saturday they’ll find the successful blogs of the week and it will be the blogging questions because a little bit of structure is good for the both of us and makes life easier.

It took me a long time to find my writing voice. My style was very academic and I sounded very stilted. Now, I write like I speak. I’m a 22 year old who is passionate about life, and social media. Why not let that shine through in my writing?

8. Make it about your readers:

Liz talked about this further on Carl Ocabs blog

Link to articles they want to read. Point them to other blogs they will find interesting. Build your blogroll with your readers in mind. Talk about them in your blog posts. Use them as examples. Quote when they say incredibly interesting things.

Make everything you about THEM not about you — even promotion. It seems to be a secret or some sort of scary thing, but it’s a fact nonetheless that best self-promotion is to promote other people, so why not your readers? They will appreciate it.

That’s it. My best blog tip ever. It’s a matter of generosity. It’s a fact of the universe that the more you give away the more that comes back to you.

Thats something that I’ve been trying to do in this post. I don’t have any loyal readers so have been focusing on the bloggers that I’ve read, and think that others should admire. I have a certain group of friends in mind who I think of when I write every post.

9. Be generous and satisfying.

Liz recommended this as one of the 7 secrets of creating a fiercely loyal community.

Care passionately about what you write. Care even more about the folks who come to read it. Know that readers want to like you and what you write, just as diners want to like the chef and the food in a great restaurant. Let us look smart. Let us help. Let us feel important, connected, and a part of what you’re doing. In other words, make readers the stars.

I’ve tried to care a lot about my community and connect wherever possible. I reply to emails, give a lot of free advice and even meet up with people outside of twitter and certain networking events. I think that this has really helped, and it makes me even more passionate about the industry.

10 Stop thinking.

Liz wrote about this on her post on idea banks.

Get out of your head and away from your computer. Ideas form and grow in our subconscious — quit thinking. The harder we try to access ideas the less likely we are to get through.

Every hour, I have a 5-10 minute break where I just get off the computer and dance to my favourite youtube video. If I feel uncreative, I’ll go outside and play with my pets. I understand that I need to get away from my head to come up with great ideas, so I schedule it into my work day.

11. Be interested

Liz expanded on this in 10 Blogger Best Practices: What Guides You as You Extend Your Reach?

When you meet someone new, be interested in who they are and what they’re about. Ask questions. Learn details. Find out their passions. Ideas come from being curious about what people are doing and why. Meeting someone new can be as revealing and invigorating as a rare celebrity interview.

I do a lot of interviews on my blog. I love it. Everyone has a story that you can learn from. I’ve

12. Get a push if you need one.

In a guest post on Chris Brogan, she said

Five people on the back end pushing can move a car out of a rut too. It hard work and sometimes they have to go out of their way to help you.

When you really need help to get going, ask for it. Ask your friends to pitch in. Tell them why it’s important. Ask in a way that makes them feel proud that they helped you.

I haven’t done this – but I know I’ve always appreciated when certain friends have given me a push. Recently, one friend employed me. Another did my hair in exchange for advice. And another helped me fix some theme problems. All three were mentioned in a recent guest post on twitip.

13. Work smarter.

Later in the post, she said

Pick topics, find angles, and explore questions that are intriguing and new. Be a thought-provoker who’s fun to talk with. Check everything you write or offer as if you were sending to the most important person on the planet. Because you are.

14. Be Nice

Liz wrote about this in an interview on Network Blogging Tips

Being a nice person is important in any part of the world. At the end of the day, it’s people who make the world work. It’s people who are the blogosphere.

The blogosphere is an amazing place to stretch our minds and our thinking. It’s a center of communication. The best communication happens when people start from a place where they both feel secure. If people know that you will always offer them a place to stand, they’ll often offer you their best back in return.

I’ve got a lot of ROI by being nice – and ironically, its all accidental. I just try to be humble, thankful and really contribute to the community. I’ve found that people really appreciate it and reciprocate where possible.

15. Change the header.

Liz included this tip as one of 5 ways to spice up your relationship with your blog.

Changing the header is like getting a blog makeover. You’ll feel like a whole new publisher. Go for a radical difference. It will wake you up to new ideas. It will get the attention of new readers.

I’ve seen this happen so many times. People change the header, or a sidebar graphic, and it looks like a completely new blog. Its a really cheap way to shake up the look of your site.

16. Earn back your readers

Liz discussed this in her post  Blogger. Know Your Readers — 10 Traits

Blog readers have to be earned back every time we write. The Internet is hard on the eyes. Readers don’t relax with the screen. They have to want to read, or they’ll skim and click right past what you’re saying. Even my most loyal readers have on occasion gotten caught commenting in some way that showed they didn’t read the entire article.

This is fascinating and somewhat daunting. It can also be applied to twitter – don’t assume that people will hang onto your every tweet and know what your talking about. Make sure to keep them in the loop and wanting to read your information.

17. Know your brand and your vision.

Liz wrote about this in her post  6 Ways to Build a Core Fan Base Any Rock Group Would Love

Blog with a passion for your vision, and make sure that it has room for readers. Folks will take notice of your passion, and some who share it will become your greatest evangelists. Plan a role in your blog’s vision for your readers to have a part. Share your vision and ssk for their feedback –- get their ideas not their votes. No blog needs to be a popularity contest. Yet, it silly not to tap the information that our readers know about our blogs that we don’t.

I strongly agree with this point. I know what my vision is – and people are really starting to take notice of it. Many have said to ‘I’d say most people wouldn’t be able to achieve that, but I know you will.’ It makes content creation and monetization so much easier

17. Be mindful when linking for relationships

Liz expanded on this in her post Relationship Linking Part 1 — The Hows and Whys

When you write your post, be mindful of the anchor text and words around the link you set for the trackback. Choose words that pique the interest if you can. Between the previous comment and the well-chosen anchor test, your trackback will be almost magnetic . . . the blogger who wrote the original will want to see what someone who is so interested in his article wrote. Now you have moved from being another blogger to being a person with a blog that bloger knows.

If you’ve chosen well, soon you and a new blogger friend will be exchanging post links when appropriate and sharing thoughts and ideas through the comment box, email, and even voice.

This is very useful advice and something that I didn’t even think of. It has started working for me but it has been purely accidental. I’ll be applying this tip to future posts.

18. Don’t be a feed snob

She also recommended that you have a 70% ratio of blogs at your level or one level higher — don’t read only A List blogs. I agree with this as you get a wide range of voices and opinions.

19. Write – even when you have writers block.

Liz discussed this in 11 Reasons to Write When You’ve Misplaced Your Passion

Writing makes us think through and organize our thinking. By articulating our ideas in writing, we force ourselvess to pinpoint our meaning. A goal that isn’t written is a speeding train soon to run over us and the goal we have been planning.

Whenever I’m stuck, I just get out my notebook. I write about what is troubling me with the post. I plan future posts or nut out guest posting plans. I find the creative process often gets me unstuck and allows me to get back to work.

20. View your blog for the first time

Liz wrote about this in Blink Your Blog to See What a First Time Visitor Does

So how do you get a fresh look at your blog? Do a blink test. That’s what I call it. Read all of the directions below before you do the blink test. That’s so that you can concentrate on noticing where your eye goes and what your reactions are.

Open your blog fully on your computer in front of you.

Look away at the ceiling or a neutral color wall –- white is the best if you’ve got it. Try to look for 2 or 3 minutes so that you’re completely clearing your mind of any “cached” images.

When you look back at the screen notice where your eyes go, and notice how easy or hard it is to draw your eyes elsewhere.

This is very useful advice and something that I will be implementing often. I also plan to take advantage of blog critiques from others who are visiting my blog for the first time.

20 Write for your readers

Liz discussed this in her post Write for Readers not Link Listers if You Want to Have an Audience

Write for readers — not for link listers — if you want to be a problogger. Writer for readers, if you want an audience who reads your blog.

Having a lot of links can mean nothing if your trying to build a strong community. You may just get a lot of people who read your blog and never return. Write for the people you want to stick around.

22 Don’t forget the people

Liz expanded on this in Problogger — Don’t Forget the People or They Will Remind You that You Did

The fact is if we worry only about beating the system, and ignore the people who read us — we have to wonder why we’re blogging. It hard work to game the system and the gaming process never ends. . . .

But getting loyal readers and having strong relationships makes blogging easier every day.

I’m from Melbourne and interact a lot within the local blogging and twitter community. The one thing that everyone talks about is Darren Rowse, the Problogger. Most people can’t believe what a down to earth guy he is. He still focuses on the community and tries to connect. It can be hard because there are a lot of requests on his time, but he does it quite skillfully.

23. Figure out what you want to say

Liz talked about this in What Are You Trying to Say to Me?

It’s easier to write, faster to blog, simpler to get a message across, if we take time before we start, to figure out that one thing we want to say.

This is an incredibly simple tip, but an incredibly important one. So many people try to waffle on to increase the word count when they don’t have a concrete message. Knowing this in advance can also decrease the amount of time it takes to write a post.

24. Name your blog according to your goals.

Liz wrote about this in The Ultimate Guide 2: Surely You Have a Goal?

If your goal is to write for yourself and few select friends, name your blog however you all might find meaningful. If your goal is to write for a large audience, name your blog using words THEY will understand and be drawn to find out more about. One way to draw them is to include Key Words in your blog title.

Even though I have big goals, I mostly write this blog for myself and for my friends. I’m hoping that as its popularity increases, I can add more people to my list of friends.

25. Allow time.

Liz included this as one of 5 Simple Rules for Getting Great Guest Posts for Your Blog

Bloggers are busy people. If you offer enough to time do a good job, any blogger is more likely to say “yes,” to your offer.

This applies to most blogging jobs. I’d say its best to give 4 days-a week if you request a quality guest post. They do take a lot of time to research and compile especially if your fitting it in around other commitments.