2. Blockquote, or more appropriately called Reference, content styles are the next step above the links content styles. These posts offer a link to the offsite resource, but they also contain a paragraph or two from the external site as a teaser of what is in the post you will visit. Again, these post content styles encourage visitors to leave your site to visit another to get the information they need. Visitors will return if the blog consistently presents solid reference material that will catch their interest. Bloggers who specialize in reference content often scour the web looking for information related to their topic, consolidating what is spread across the net into one resource, earning respect from users looking for similar information and resources.

3. Feed Content is the ‘resource for content that isn’t yours’. In other words, feeds fuel the site rather than the blog owner or administrator actually finding the information, links, and content from other sites and posting it. Feed content is post content that comes from other sources. Feed content style blogs are not good or bad, unless they are poorly executed. They just are another form of content choice. Successful blogs which use feeds as their sole source of content are usually ones which use paid feed services that allow filtering to the incoming feeds, keeping the feeds isolated to a specific topic. Feed services, free or paid, which bring just about anything onto a blog rarely attract a consistent audience. Some blogs will use feeds to enhance their own content style, often showcased in the header or sidebar. They add to the overall information available to their readers.

4. Full Content post styles are posts written entirely by the blog author(s). While there may be links to external sites and reference, the blog is dedicated to providing ‘original’ content for their audience. While many think that this is the ideal type of blog, there are pros and cons to full content post styles. They can be very time consuming, as the author must generate the content, research, and possibly substantiate the material. The writing style needs to be consistent and good quality. Frequency of posting may be less than faster link and reference style posts. Yet, full content posts offer more information and resources for the audience. Well written blogs will hold a reader on the site longer, encouraging them to read more. Such bloggers, especially those who specialize on a specific topic, tend to be seen as ‘experts’ or at least ‘informed’. Readers return because they know this is where they will get ‘all’ the information, not just part of it. Some call this style the ‘one-stop blogging shop’ where people come to get the news they can use, not just a reference to news somewhere else.

6. For those unfamiliar with RSS feeds, add a simple ‘subscribe to’ box where people can sign up to new postings to your site by simply keying in their email address.

7. Update your content regularly. If you have a free time one day, write two or three posts and then use the schedule system to publish them at different times during the coming week.

8. Reply promptly to comments left by readers. It’s good manners and will encourage them to come back and visit your blog again.

9. Join a group of bloggers who are blogging in the same field. This will help publicise your blog (if you have something interesting to say).

10. Link to others in your post. If you mentioned a place, a company or an article, create a hyperlink where readers can click to find out more. These pingbacks – a message automatically sent to a blogger when another blogger references one of his or her posted entries – are another way of publicising your blog.

11. Use keywords to direct traffic. Monitor how people have arrived at your site by regularly checking your statistics to see what keywords are used most often and then include these in future posts.

12. Comment regularly on other blogs and drive traffic back to your own blog by including a link.

13. Creditability is key. You readers need to know about you. Who you are. What you’ve done. Then they can decide whether or not your opinion is worth reading. You need to get personal. And ‘getting personal’ is not about telling them what you had for breakfast; it’s about sharing what shapes your opinions, thoughts, and views on what you’re blogging about. Have a clearly visible page where people can go to find out more about you.

14. Do your research. Check to see what blogs are being read the most. Sites like Technorati can help. http://technorati.com/blogs/top100 If you find a blog that’s relevant to your subject, comment on it.

15. We cannot proofread our own work because we see what our mind tells us we have written. Get someone to check your blog for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. If you don’t have someone you can ask, try reading your blog backwards. This will trick your mind into ‘not remembering’ and should flag the mistakes.