Scatter mini-notebooks or notepads. Always keep a mini-notebook at hand’s reach. Have one on your office desk, in your car, in your bag, in your baby’s diaper bag, on your home computer table – every spot where you stay often. Your mini-notebooks don’t have to be too fancy, noticeable or expensive. This way, it won’t hurt to purchase several.

Install virtual sticky notes in your computer. Sticky notes can be set to be available on your computer’s desktop at all times. Thus, whenever an idea pops up, it will be much easier for you to type it on a sticky note for future reference. You can choose to change the color of the sticky note that you reserve for blog ideas for easier reference.

Find and use an online to-do planner that you can easily access when needed. There are a lot of online planners and to-do lists that you can use to store your blog post ideas. Due to technology advancement, you can also access these even while you’re away from your computer (yes, via your smartphone or tablet).

Yes, via your smartphone or tablet. In reference to the last statement, a smartphone or tablet can be your greatest blogging companion these days. It has programs that you need – notes and recorder. You can audio blog on the spot through your phone or tablet. You can also take a photo of something that triggered your blog ideas. You can even start writing a blog post on the spot using your gadget.

Recording your ideas through these various ways is just the first step. You should further organize your lists and outlines. Once you find time, shortlist the ideas you have recorded. Eliminate those that you think you have already tackled or those that don’t deserve to be tackled at all, then combine ideas that can be talked about in a single post. Once you are done with your final list, you can already move forward to mind mapping and scheduling your posts. Blogging can be an easy activity if you begin by stock piling your ideas.

There are simple ways on how you can get readers to comment on your blog posts. Yes, writing high quality content and promoting it are necessary. But sometimes, it may not be enough. Adding some elements to your posts can do the trick.

Below are some of the techniques to get more blog comments.

1. Invite readers to comment. If you haven’t tried asking your readers to leave comments, it is now time to start doing so. Although readers can comment anytime, they seem to ignore or just simply forget the idea. Non-bloggers may not realize the importance of blog comments. Thus, invite them to comment and their response may just be the trigger you are looking for.

2. Leave a question for your readers to answer. A good blog post talks “with” the readers, not “at” them. So, ask questions and encourage sharing of opinions. You can start by using a question as a title. Then, by the end of your post, ask a question interesting enough to make your readers decide to answer.

3. Leave the ending open. If your post already has it all, your readers may no longer feel the need to share their opinions and ideas. Yes, you need to provide informational and valuable content at all times, but you can always ask your readers to add more ideas, tips and recommendations if they have some. This way, you can make them feel appreciated and they are given the chance to be somewhat an expert on the niche too.

4. Interact, reply to comments. Once someone comments, keep the thread alive by replying to it. This way, ideas and opinions will keep on coming and everyone else will be encouraged to leave their own comments too.

5. Make it easy for readers to comment. Do not complicate the method of commenting. There are some blogs that require logging in before one can comment. Some readers may find registration either a waste of time or a dangerous way of giving their personal information away. Although registration for comments is necessary to avoid spam, your reader might just end up leaving your blog without leaving the comment you want. It would be best to leave the battle against spam to captcha.

But there are a select few of blogs which receive repeat visitors. So what makes them different from the rest? It’s time to find out. Read on below. We’ll help you implement strategies that will allow your site to get more with less.

Be able to show proof – if you take a look around the web today, the most popular sites are inevitably those that have personal twists. For example, weight loss blogs that show pictures and outline the daily struggles of the dieters tend to do well. Similarly, you can make your site stand out in the internet marketing niche space by posting your weekly/monthly goals and if you met them.

Write the right content – anyone will tell you that you should write good content, but are you writing the right content for your audience? It is important to give the visitors what they want in terms of information, entertainment, or humor. If you’re not sure if you’re meeting visitor needs, check the comments to see if it is read and appreciated. Write more on the topics that get a link back from other sites or are shared by readers.

Use internal linking – keep your visitors hooked on your website. One of the best ways to stop them from leaving is to use internal links. Point them to other pages that they might be interested in. If you’re using WordPress, download the “related posts” plug-in. Similarly, you can manually insert the links within the post itself.

Encourage readers to comment – when there is a conversation going on in your blog, it is now possible to create a “community”.  In this sense, people will keep checking back at the site to see what others have to say. And of course, to check out if you posted a new article.

Get them to sign up – another effective way to keep your visitors coming back is to get them into your mailing list. Receiving regular newsletters from your site on their inbox will inevitably make a significant percentage of your readers convert into buying customers.

Individuals who are not fond of reading extensive amount of texts find podcasts a good alternative. An increasing number of people are also starting to use it because of its flexibility. They can listen to tutorials, stories, and motivational speech on the way to work or when they are traveling in general. Podcasts are also being used by large companies these days to attract more customers. So if you are interested in giving this a try yourself for your blog, what are the tactics you should adopt? Below is an overview:

Start with the content – podcasts aren’t like articles. In many cases, the writing styles on most articles are not good for podcasts because it has a sales tone. In general, it is important to have the same idea on the blog posts as on the podcasts. To minimize the work, be conscious of how you write the article and given it a light-hearted spin that is direct to the point.

Get the equipment – some believe that podcasts equipment is expensive. This isn’t the case. There are kits available at an affordable price. These already include the microphone, headphone, recording software, and editing software. There are even free audio recording programs that are available for free. Basically, the cost is minimal but the benefits of podcasting are great.

Record and publish the podcast – after getting the equipment, the next step is to use it of course. Instructions should be included in the kit you get; these may vary depending on the software. Once the recording and editing is finished, the podcast is ready for publishing. Be sure to put it on a prominent place on your website. Make it a point to create a RSS feed for the podcast as well.

Advertise the podcast – make your community aware that your website has a brand-new feature. Promote the podcasts through email, write an announcement, and get your contacts to promote it for you. Using your social media accounts, especially Facebook and Twitter, is another sure-fire way to generate interest.

As many in the blogging world will tell you, creativity is something that you need to strive for. There are big demands when it comes to writing something witty, funny, and interesting for the audience. Similarly, there are also a number of blogs that thrive on clever infographics and other design elements. The creativity can be sapped from you if you don’t take care of it. In this article, we’ll give you a lowdown on how to stay creative in blogging:

Source relevant information – in many cases, inspiration comes from other sources. So you want to have as many great and relevant sources available at your fingertips. Cluttered working habits as well as the general misinformation on the internet can stop you from writing something amazing. It is critical to set up a process, such as using RSS, to source information that is within your industry.

Locate your “zone” and stay there – creativity can come in bursts. That means that in some instances, you can do hours’ worth of work without breaking a sweat. At other times though, you might have a hard time even coming up with a couple of sentences. The key to remaining productive is to find the “zone” that helps you work at your best. If it’s listening to music, do it. If it’s sitting in a quiet area in the library, then go to the library.

Try mind mapping – this idea has gotten a surge of popularity recently. It is because the most creative people think in non-linear ways. You must find a way to take advantage of it. There are now a variety of mind mapping tools that will show you how you think. This results to better ideas, articles, and output. Mind mapping techniques can also be used within a group.

Talk to others – many bloggers work in isolation, resulting to a dearth of ideas. You need other people to remain creative. If it is impossible for you to meet up with a group on a regular basis, then make it a point to join discussions on Skype and other tools on the internet.

Blog directories are similar to a phone book. They list down content and sites according to several categories. This is why they are also known as “link directories.” Users of these directories are directed to the websites and blogs that may contain the information that they need.

Below are the reasons why you should submit your link to blog directories and how it can help generate more traffic for your site.

1. Blog directories normally have high page ranking. Basically, websites with high page ranking land in the first pages of search results. If you get your blog link in one of these popular blog directories, your site practically gets a share of its page ranking.

2. Blog directories often receive high volume of traffic. These sites are often visited by online users who are looking for content that offers the information that they need. Thus, the chances of getting noticed are higher if your blog is listed in such directories. Moreover, those who also have their sites listed in the directory tend to visit their fellow bloggers’ sites.

3. Blog directories are great avenues for back linking. These sites are basically supposed to present links to blogs. Thus, it is one of the best venues where you can post your links. Aside from generating more traffic, back links from blog directories help your site get indexed in search engines faster.

4. Blog directories may offer RSS feed updates. Some blog directories may allow you to post an RSS feed which you can update regularly. This will make subscribing to your blog easier. Moreover, the blog directory will also regularly receive your site updates.

5. Blog directories will stay on the Web for eternity – unless the owner decides to shut it down, but it is very unlikely. Just like phone directories, blog directories are here to stay. Information may be exchanged and distributed in a number of ways, but it still helps online users to easily find what they are looking for. Thus, the services and convenience offered by blog directories will stay trending for years.

6. Blog directory submission is so easy. Submitting your site to blog directories is so easy. Normally, you will be asked to create an account in the directory, provide basic and necessary information and voila! You can already enjoy the benefits it has to offer.

While the signs might be discouraging, it is also important to note that countless bloggers have been in the same situation but has still made it. In this article, we’ll explore the different reasons why your blog isn’t as effective as it should be.

You don’t enjoy the topic

If you find a particular topic uninteresting, redundant, and unappealing, it will show on your writing. Even freelance writers who write about anything and everything have some topics that they won’t feel particularly keen about. Basically, if your website doesn’t contain anything exciting or new, people will go elsewhere because your blog is found to be wanting when it comes to substance.

Your blog isn’t becoming an authority site

In many fields, the only way you’ll make it is if the blog makes it on the first page of the search engine results page. There are also other ways to promote such as direct advertising, joint ventures, and social media marketing among others. By and large, you need to be seen as an authority in one particular area because you’ll generate enough money to matter.

Your market isn’t spending

While receiving thousands of unique visits on a daily basis may look good on first glance, it should be noted that some sites have impressive numbers yet fail to make money. Consider someone on the “freebie” niche, for example. The visitors that this site inevitably attracts are freebie-seekers. They would be unwilling to pay for stuff on your page, even if you try to upsell.

At the end of the day, only you can decide if you’re in the wrong niche. There are countless bloggers who write and update their blog on a regular basis simply because they enjoy the topic. If you make money from these endeavors, then you can treat it as a bonus.

For example, if you look closely enough, it becomes apparent that companies like CNBC and even CNN has a left-wing bias while Fox News has a right-wing bias in the United States. These organizations are all successful for a reason: they cater to specific audiences. The same concept is true for blogging. If you have identified a target market, then deliver content that resonates with their concerns, problems, and interests. That way, they will keep coming back to your site as they perceive it as more reliable compared to the competitors.

So, how exactly can you find out what to give your readers? The best way to find out is to ask them yourself. Here are some tactics on how to generate feedback from the community:

Add a question at the end of the post – simply posting a question at the end of the article will encourage people to write a comment. This will also give you an insight about what they want to know about further. In essence, talking to your audience can help you glean valuable information.

Create a poll – this is a very simple tactic but an effective one. For example, if you’re thinking of redesigning a site, create a poll as to what features visitors want to see. The same can be said about the content. Determine what particular topics they want you to focus on in the future.

Ask followers on Facebook and Twitter – if you have a relatively large and stable following on social networking sites, use this as an opportunity to connect even further with them. Probe their mind for things they would like to know more about. Find a way to meet their needs and they will definitely become loyal followers.

Host a survey – while this may take more time and effort, the results it generates is also in-depth. People like talking about themselves; this gives them a chance to make their opinions heard. To encourage more people to participate, create a special contest that gives participants an opportunity to win. Alternately, you can also offer freebies.

Social media sites also take up a lot of time, without you even noticing it. Pretty soon, the whole day is gone and you’ve achieved nothing because hours was spent on commenting and “Facebooking”. A number of individuals also participate on a number of social sites including Google+, Twitter, forums, and exchange emails with bloggers. If you’re starting to feel that your life is being dictated upon by your social media “responsibilities”, below are some tips you might find useful:

Do you really need duplicates?

Having a Facebook and Google+ profile while managing them both yourself may feel like you’ve opened a blog saying the same thing on two different platforms. Do you really need to do this? If you become too engrossed in social media, you’ll soon be posting everywhere except your own site. Automate the updates if you can, or hire someone to manage these for you.

Making your “shares” count

It is really necessary for you to share every post you write on your blog and every update you post on Facebook? If people keep receiving news about your websites that are neither interesting nor informative, then they will get tired of it eventually. It is better to extend the effort to share only when you have something worthwhile to say. That way, your community won’t suffer from information overload.

Determining the value of each social media account

While you definitely need to keep an active page on Facebook, it important to ask yourself whether the other accounts you have are worth maintaining. Basically, you should list all the properties you have including fan pages, forum accounts, and social media profiles. Rate them on a scale of 1 to 5 based on how much value you get from them. In some cases, the returns on your effort are simply not worth it so it is best to let go.

Accept guest posts – instead of writing a brand new article yourself or hiring a professional writer to ghostwrite for you, why not simply accept guest posts from other bloggers? Nowadays, guest posting has become incredibly popular because it provides a win-win situation for both parties. For the guest blogger, the link from your site adds value to theirs while on your part, you save money or time from writing a unique and informative article.

Post videos – find amusing and valuable videos on YouTube and post them to your site. In a lot of cases, this is enough to generate a lot of attention especially if you do it on a consistent basis. Remember to always post videos that are relevant to your niche. From here, you can add your personal opinion about the content or simply write 2 sentences on what’s it about. Some visitors may even share this on their Facebook or Twitter account, enabling you to reach even more people.

Voice-to-text software – there are a number of voice-to-text software out there. In the past, these are mostly used by people who have difficulty typing for one reason or another. In recent years though, it has become popular among people within the blogging and internet marketing industries. The programs make it easier to create written content. Speaking, instead of typing, the content is a lot faster once you get used to the software programs.

Industry round-ups – basically, this simply entails compiling posts within the same industry as yours in one article. Because you are linking to other sites and giving an overview of what’s it about, a simple 200-300 word post would do. “Round-up” articles can do wonders in building blogging relationships. Aside from making your site look more relevant, the sites you link to will also take more notice of your blog.