This is a topic that has been debated amongst bloggers for as long as I can remember blogging.

It’s my opinion that each writer should assess their traffic to determine what posts are popular, the length of time a person spends on each visit, what the bounce rate is and with that information, they can determine what the optimal post length is for their readers.

It’s also my opinion, that you should consider the following:

• Reader Attention Span – There’s lots of documentation that support the belief that readers will spend under 100 seconds on a blog. As a result many writers keep their content length down to a level that is readable in short grabs.
• Quantity of Posts – Some believe that shorter posts allow you to write more posts and that more posts generate more readership with RSS and in Search Engines. Could this actually be what sites like Engadget do to make up the majority of their content.
• SEO – Seach Engine Optimization experts believe long and short articles are not ranked as highly as pages that are of a medium length. Of course no one truly knows what the ideal length is, however, the general consensus seems to be that 200 to 250 words is a reasonable length. At the same time, many of the experts I’ve communicated with advise keeping articles under 1000 words.
• Topic/Genre – Of course it goes without saying, the topic you write on will determine the true optimal length of article. As an example, when you are writing a product review your article will be longer whereas hot news topics you mention and link to something written by someone else will be shorter. As well, photo blogs require much less coverage.

I believe if you can answer the key “Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How?” in under 250 words, that’s all you need. At the end of the day, you need to monitor your stats, communicate with your readers and determine what works best for you and your blog.

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My Comment Commitment: If you leave an approved comment on any of my posts, I will visit your blog and “share it” in some way whether on StumbleUpon, Twitter or Facebook depending on if I can find a nice fit.

Originally posted 2010-01-17 23:58:46.

Sometimes it helps to be short, sweet and straight to the point.

With that in mind, here’s a simple list of blogging tips to keep handy.

1. Write to be helpful – attempt to solve a problem or respond to a need in every post.
2. Be brief – keep your post as short and sweet as possible – remember, your readers will typically have short attention spans.
3. Tell a story – People love to read a story with substance.
4. Connect others – reach out to your readers and connect where possible.
5. Share. Often.
6. Don’t over think it – I try to remember – Think long, think wrong!
7. Be thoughtful – always write with your reader in mind. Remember, you’re writing for your reader, not Google.
8. Publish often enough to build a relationship – inactive is just plain boring.
9. Be yourself – speak through your blog and to your audience as you would your neighbor – they’ll appreciate the personal touch.
10. Listen carefully – your readers will let you know what they like – listen to them.

What else would you say? Think about what you would say if you were telling and old friend you’d just reunited with about blogging?

Do you have blogging tips to share?

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My Comment Commitment: If you leave an approved comment on any of my posts, I will visit your blog and “share it” in some way whether on StumbleUpon, Twitter or Facebook depending on if I can find a nice fit.

Originally posted 2010-01-25 01:13:17.

I’ve been doing a bit of research into blog carnivals lately. I’ve seen them on several blogs I frequent and realized there must be something to them if so many are using them and participating in them.

So with a little homework – here’s what I’ve found:

Yes, they are worth the time and energy go participate – they do attract traffic and it is a great way to meet other bloggers who have similar topics to your own.

You’ll be able to find a complete Blog Carnival listing here so you can easily click on new carnivals that are happening now or check to see what carnivals are coming up that you might be able to jump in on.

Confused?

Not a problem! Here are a few of the most often asked questions as listed on BlogCarnival.com

What’s a Blog Carnival?

A Blog Carnival is a particular kind of blog community. There are many kinds of blogs, and they contain articles on many kinds of topics. Blog Carnivals typically collect together links pointing to blog articles on a particular topic. A Blog Carnival is like a magazine. It has a title, a topic, editors, contributors, and an audience. Editions of the carnival typically come out on a regular basis (e.g. every Monday, or on the first of the month). Each edition is a special blog article that consists of links to all the contributions that have been submitted, often with the editors opinions or remarks.

There is so much stuff in the blog-o-sphere, just finding interesting stuff is hard. If there is a carnival for a topic you are interested in, following that carnival is a great way to learn what bloggers are saying about that topic. If you are blogging on that topic, the carnival is the place to share your work with like-minded bloggers.

Blog Carnival is the place to come to find carnivals you are interested in, to submit your blog articles to carnivals where they belong, and to organize and maintain carnivals.

Who Creates a Blog Carnival?

It takes a village, you might say. Although it is possible for one person to do everything it takes to make a Blog Carnival, the work is usually divided up like this:

• The Organizer starts the carnival, decides what it will be about, what the submission criteria are, and how often it will appear. They also coordinate who will host each edition of the carnival. As time passes, they find new volunteers to host. Organizers use Blog Carnival to manage the schedule of who is hosting what and when, so they can present it to their audience in a single, well-known place.
• The Host volunteers to host a carnival edition on their blog. They work with the organizer to pick a date that suits them (popular carnivals schedule their hosts for months in advance). In the period leading up their scheduled date, they collect submissions from bloggers, and organize them into a single article chalk-full of links, often with their own comments. This article is published on the scheduled date, and everyone leaves comments on their blog telling them what a great job they did (well, usually, anyway).
• Bloggers who have written an article on the carnival’s topic can submit the link for inclusion in the next edition of the carnival. Often, bloggers who contribute to carnivals are experts in their field (or at least, highly opinionated!). Blog Carnival has a carnival submission form for each carnival that bloggers can use to submit links to selected posts to a carnival host. All the blogger needs to know is the name of the carnival, and Blog Carnival takes care of getting it to the right person.
• The Audience consists of both bloggers and just-plain-interested readers. They come to Blog Carnival to find out if there is a carnival on a topic they are interested in, and to find out where the carnival editions have been, and where they’re going to be in the future.

If you have more questions on Blog Carnivals, I recommend you visit BlogCarnival.com and go from there.

This is a great, fun and FREE way to generate traffic, build your blog credibility and network.

I saw an interview with Donald Trump once and the host asked him what he would do if he lost everything today. Donald didn’t hesitate with his response when he said "I’d get out tomorrow and start meeting new people and developing my new network."

Donald Trump isn’t my favorite person, but he’s certainly got a point. Your success isn’t just about you and how much heart and soul you put into it, it’s about your network.

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My Comment Commitment: If you leave an approved comment on any of my posts, I will visit your blog and “share it” in some way whether on StumbleUpon, Twitter or Facebook depending on if I can find a nice fit.

Originally posted 2010-01-11 12:00:00.