In February 2014, when I published my first blog post, I never thought that I’d go on to write and publish blog posts that included blogging tips.
Since publishing my first blogging tips post, they’ve become amongst my most successful on my blog.
Looking For Help With Blogging?
Where do blogging tips come from?
Mostly from other bloggers. You’ll find hundreds of blogging tips posts all over the blogging world, and, best of all, the majority are free.
Why are blogging tips posts so popular?
Most of us have something to say about writing and blogging as writers and bloggers. They’re usually hot topics for discussion.
I’ve witnessed many posts about blogging and writing getting many comments left on them. Most of these posts get lots of attention and usually hundreds of comments.
Although most of my blogging tips posts come from ideas I have when playing with various buttons and settings on the WordPress platform, I’d like to get you more involved. Therefore, in 2022, I’m relaunching a successful feature I did a few years ago on Hugh’s Views and News.
Do you have any questions you’d like to ask about any aspects of blogging?
Not sure how to tag and categorise your blog posts?
How do you get readers to leave comments?
What about ‘pingbacks’ and ‘linkbacks’? What are they, and how do they work?
What’s the best days of the week and time of day to publish blog posts?
How should you respond to negative comments?
What are reusable blocks, and what are the benefits of using the Block editor?
How do you reduce the size of images and photos on your blog posts?
I’m opening the floor to you. Here’s what you need to do.
In the comments section of this post, leave me your blogging questions and include a link to your blog.
If your question is selected, I will contact you and write and publish a new post that answers your question. I’ll link back to your blog in the post. I’ll also feature one of your books if you’re an author.
I don’t claim to be an expert in the field of blogging, but I’ve learned a lot about it since I published my first post. I’ll do my best to answer all your questions.
Now it’s over to you.
Do you have any questions about blogging that you’d like me to answer? There’s no deadline for asking your questions. My invitation is open as long as this post is live on my blog.
Get asking, and get featured. I look forward to hearing from you.
‘One hundred posts! That’s far too many in eight months,’ I told myself.
One hundred posts over eight months mean that, on average, I’m publishing 12 posts per month or around three per week.
I was rather shocked by the figures, but told myself that it shouldn’t be about me but my audience. That’s where I hope you will step in by answering some questions and leaving your answers in the comments section.
Are 12 posts per month too many, too few, or just right on Hugh’s Views And News?
How many blog posts did you publish between 1st January and 31st August 2021?
Do you think you’ve published too many, too few, or the right amount of posts so far this year?
What are your reasons for the answer(s) you gave to the last question?
If you blog on WordPress.Com, you can find out how many posts you’ve published by going to your blog’s ‘Stats And Insights‘ page and click on the ‘Insights’ tab.
Insights into Stats
You’ll find the information towards the bottom of the page under ‘Annual Site Stats.’
Annual Site Stats
Join the discussion and let me know your answers by leaving them in the comments section. You don’t need to answer all of the questions if you don’t want to, but I’d be interested in reading the answers you do give.
In the meantime, if you’re wondering what I did on my unplanned blogging break, here’s a clue of one of the places I visited.
Over the coming months, I’ve lots planned for Hugh’s Views And News. In the meantime, if you’d like to follow me on my other social media platforms, click on the buttons below.
Follow Hugh on Social media by clicking on the buttons
Have you noticed the new WordPress ‘Screen Options’ button on the dashboard of your blog?
At first, it wasn’t very noticeable to me, but I now find myself using it everyday because it has some great features.
New: WordPress Screen Options Button
Where can I find the ‘Screen Options’ button?
You’ll find the ‘Screen Options‘ button in the top righthand corner of your screen when viewing ‘Posts,’ ‘Pages’, ‘Media’ or ‘Comments’ on the dashboard of your blog. Please note that It doesn’t yet seem to be available on the WordPress App.
Screen Options Button
I am able to see the button when using WordPress on my desktop computer, laptop, iPad and iPhone using Safari and Chrome.
What does the ‘Screen Options’ button do?
It’s a quick way to switch between the new WordPress ‘Default’ view and the old ‘Classic’ view of your blog’s dashboard.
Clicking on the button gives users two choices when viewing information on the ‘Posts’, ‘Pages’ and ‘Comments’ section on their blog’s dashboard.
Screen Options Menu
‘Default’ view is the one I’ve been using for the last couple of months. Here are two screenshots of what my blog’s ‘posts’ page looks like with the ‘Default’ view and the ‘Classic’ view.
Default View
Classic view
Many users may recognise the old-style ‘Classic’ view. However, did you know that it now contains more options? Clicking on the ‘Screen Options’ button again will disclose the options. I’ve highlighted some of them on the following image.
Classic option features
Not only can you choose which columns to display under ‘posts,’ but you can also choose how many of your posts you want to see on the dashboard.
If you make any chances, click the ‘Apply’ button to save them.
What does the ‘view mode’ option do?
Changing the ‘view mode’ option to ‘Extended view’ will show a little more information under your posts.
Extended view
In my case, I was able to see the excerpt for each of my posts.
Reminder – click the ‘Apply’ button if you make any changes.
The ‘Classic’ view also has a gateway to the old Classic editor, where you can draft new blog posts. However, WordPress may remove this at any time.
Gateway to the old Classic editor
Struggling with spam? Use the Classic option
As I use the Block editor, I use the ‘Default’ version. However, I use the ‘Classic’ option for specific functions that the ‘Default’ option doesn’t yet do. For example, I use the ‘Classic’ option for deleting all spam from my WordPress spam folder with just one click.
Emptying Spam
Don’t allow spam to cause you any problems or to allow you to make any harsh decisions. It can easily be dealt with.
Although the ‘Default’ option offers an option to bulk delete spam, you can only delete 20 spam comments at any one time.
Bulk Edit
So using the ‘Classic’ option helps save me time when dealing with hundreds of spam comments daily.
I’ve not yet discovered a way of marking comments that end up in the spam folder by mistake as genuine (not spam) in the ‘Default’ version. So, again, I use the ‘Classic’ version for performing this task.
While using ‘Classic’ view, if at any time you want to go back to using the new ‘Default’ (WordPress.com view) option, click the button.
Default view button
The ‘Screen Options’ function may only be available with specific WordPress plans.
Let’s wrap it up
The new ‘Screen Options’ button can be found on the ‘Posts,’ ‘Pages’, ‘Media’ and ‘Comments’ pages of the dashboard of your WordPress blog.
‘Classic’ view option has more options when viewing posts and comments.
Delete spam with one click when using ‘Classic’ view.
‘Default’ view only allows bulk action (20 comments) when deleting spam.
Works on desktops, laptops, tablets, and phones.
Does not work via the WordPress app.
Have you been using the new ‘Screen Options’ button? Have I missed out anything you’ve discovered it does? If you have any questions about the ‘Screen Options’ button leave them in the comments section.
Layout, content, settings and format might differ on self-hosted blogs.
Click the ‘Diversity with a Twist’ image to check out my latest post over on my column at the Carrot Ranch
Unfollowing blogs. It’s something many bloggers don’t like talking about and is something many fear.
However, unfollowing blogs is a great way to free up time. Your WordPress reader and email box (if you subscribe to new post notifications) become a little more uncluttered from stuff that no longer interests you, and you get back some time you’d have otherwise wasted.
Are These The 7 Main Reasons Why Your Blog Is Losing Readers?
Have you unfollowed or not followed a blog for any of these reasons?
1. No ‘About Me’ page or one that hasn’t been updated
Did you know that the ‘About Me’ page is one of the most visited pages of a blog? Go on, check your stats. You may be surprised by how many visits that page has had.
One of the first things I look for when visiting a new blog is an ‘About me’ page. If there isn’t one, it takes more than 30 seconds to find, or the contents of it are not interesting, then I won’t follow.
Likewise, if there is an ‘About Me’ page that hasn’t been updated for many years, I’ll also not follow.
Of course, if you don’t have an ‘about me’ page then you could be missing out on hundreds of new visitors and followers every month.
Don’t have an ‘About Me’ page or don’t know what to put on one?
From time to time, we all encounter problems with broken links on our blogs.
Broken links are no good to anyone and can spoil the enjoyment of reading blog posts and pages that contain them. The ‘404 – Page Not Found‘ message is one of the most frustrating messages readers come across.
If I find a broken link, I’ll notify the blog owner of it. If it doesn’t get fixed and there are many other broken links on the blog (including those in the email notifications I get from WordPress), I will unfollow the blog
Check the links on your blog’s home and ‘About Me’ pages at least every couple of months to ensure they’re still working. If they’re not, fix them immediately.
Don’t lose followers by not fixing broken links on your blog.
I’ve mentioned this many times before, but if somebody has taken the time to read any of your posts and leaves a comment, then how are they going to feel if you ignore them?
Would you ask somebody around for dinner and ignore everything they had to say? No!
So never ignore or take readers for granted.
If bloggers do not respond to comments, I will unfollow them or stop leaving comments if the content is still of interest.
4. Unfriendly and uninviting blogs
Would you shop on a website that’s not easy to use or navigate around? Probably not.
Do you find the layout of my blog or my blog posts messy? Are they not particularly nice to look at or hard to read? I hope not.
Now, ask yourself the same question about your blog. Does it look inviting and friendly? Is it easy to navigate around? Are all the links working? Is the menu too top-heavy and over-cluttered?
If my first impression of a blog is any of what I’ve mentioned in the above paragraph, then I’m not going to waste my time trying to find posts I may be interested in reading.
Likewise, if a blog I’m following becomes over-cluttered, unfriendly, no longer easy to get around or takes too long to download, then I’ll unfollow it.
So ensure you keep up with your blog’s housekeeping. Keep your blog an inviting and friendly place to hang out on and make all your blog posts engaging.
5. Out of sight, out of mind
One of the first things every blogger should decide is how often they are going to publish posts. If you choose to publish posts three times a week, then stick to that schedule. However, do not, without warning, change your posting schedule or not publish anything for a couple of months.
There’s nothing wrong with changing how often you publish blog posts and informing your readers why you’re doing it, but try and stick to the same schedule. If your readers expect a blog post once a week, they will probably not stick around if you don’t publish anything for months. Out of sight, out of mind.
Every six months, I check for blogs I follow who haven’t published any new content for at least six months. I’ll unfollow those blogs because it’s likely they’ve either abandoned their blog and will not publish any new posts.
If your readers expect a new blog post from you once a month and don’t get anything for six months, then you’re going to lose followers.
6. Uninteresting content
I’ve followed many blogs by mistake. In the early days, I fell into the trap of following every blogger who followed me. Have you fallen into that trap?
Then again, and this is something I think many bloggers don’t like talking about, I’ve unfollowed blogs because the content they are publishing no longer interests me.
Doesn’t it make sense to spend the precious time you have reading content that interests you rather than read content that doesn’t interest you simply because the blogger who publishes it follows you?
And I have no problem with people unfollowing me if my content no longer interests them. However, I take a different view of people unfollowing my blog simply because I don’t follow them.
I follow many bloggers who don’t follow me. Why? Because they publish engaging content I am interested in and which motivates me to leave comments.
Never be afraid to unfollow a blog you’re no longer interested in. It will free up valuable time, which you can put to better use, such as writing or reading and commenting on the remaining blogs you follow.
Do you have any annoying popups on your blog? Do they keep popping up because they don’t give readers the chance to say ‘no thank you’ to what you’re trying to offer them? Or do they not go away unless I do subscribe to your newsletter? What if I don’t want to subscribe? Will I keep seeing that annoying popup?
Then I’ve probably unfollowed your blog.
I don’t mind discrete popups that do not cover the post I’m reading, but when my reading is interrupted by the same popup every time I visit, then I’ll unfollow.
Get rid of annoying popups. If you do need them on your blog, chose a design that is discrete and one that does not interrupt the enjoyment of reading.
Do You Know How To Unfollow A Blog?
The simplest way to unfollow a blog is to click on the ‘Unsubscribe’ link at the bottom of the WordPress email notification you get when a new post is published.
Where to find the unsubscribe button on a WordPress email notification
WordPress.Com users and those choosing not to receive email notifications can use the following methods.
1. Click the ‘follow’ button that appears in the bottom righthand corner of a blog you’re following. It appears when scrolling up on the device you’re using.
The Following button on a WordPress blog
The ‘following’ message will change to ‘follow‘ when you click it.
You’ve now unfollowed the blog.
2. Click the ‘Reader’ button (situated next to ‘My Sites’ in the top left corner of your blog).
A list of newly published blog posts from the blogs you follow will display.
If the blog you want to unfollow is listed, click on the toggle menu button next to the post.
Where to find the toggle button
To unfollow the blog, click on ‘Following Site’ in the new mini-window that opens.
The Following Site button
You’ve now unfollowed the blog.
3. Click the ‘Manage’ button (situated near Followed Sites).
The Manage sites button
You’ll now see a new page that lists all the blogs you follow.
Find the blog you want to unfollow in the list and click the ‘following’ button next to it.
The Following Blog button
You’ve now unfollowed the blog.
Does WordPress notify bloggers you’ve unfollowed?
No.
Of course, nobody wants anyone to unfollow their blog, but do consider unfollowing some of those blogs you never visit anymore. All they’re doing is cluttering up your WordPress Reader and email box.
Let’s wrap it up.
Unfollowing blogs you’re no longer interested in frees up your WordPress Reader, email box and time.
Rather than wasting time reading and following blogs you’re not interested in, use that time to write or read the blogs that motivate you to leave comments on.
It’s easy to unfollow blogs on WordPress. Follow my guide in this post.
WordPress does not notify any bloggers you’ve unfollowed.
Don’t want to lose followers? Then make sure your blog is inviting, easy to navigate around, has an updated ‘about me’ page and is a friendly place to hang out on.
Never ignore or take your readers for granted. Consider unfollowing bloggers that do not respond to your comments.
If you’re going to change your blogging schedule, inform your readers about it.
Don’t leave long gaps between publishing posts. Stick to your schedule. Once a month – great. Once a month, but don’t publish your next post for six months – not good. Out of sight, could mean out of mind.
Join the disussion
Do you unfollow blogs? If so, what are the main reasons why you unfollow them? If you’ve never unfollowed a blog, why not?
Layout, content, settings and format might differ on self-hosted blogs.
Are you reblogging correctly on WordPress?Check out my post for full details.
How many times have you clicked on the Gravatar image of somebody who has left a comment on a blog post and not been able to find their blog details? Frustrating, isn’t it?
Why every blogger should ensure they’ve attached their blog to their Gravatar
The image that appears next to a comment is known as a Gravatar.
Here’s an example.
Gravatar
If I hover my mouse over Debbie’s image on her Gravatar, the following happens.
Gravatar of Debbie from Deb’s World
A little more information about Debbie appears. If I wanted to find Debbie’s blog, I need to click on the ‘View Complete Profile‘ button.
When I do that, I’m taken to her full Gravatar page.
Debbie’s Gravatar page
Debbie’s websites, including her blog, are listed towards the bottom of the page. I’ve marked them in the above image. All I have to do is click on the ‘Deb’s World‘ blog image (under ‘Websites’) and, hey presto, I’m taken straight to her blog.
But how do I add my blog and social media accounts to my Gravatar profile?
Using a search engine, search for Gravatar.
Sign into Gravatar by using your WordPress sign in details or by clicking on the ‘sign in’ button (top right of the page).
Gravatar sign in buttons
You’ll be taken to your Gravatar page.
Click on ‘My Profile.’
Where to find My Profile
If necessary, add or update your profile details on your profile page before clicking on the ‘Websites’ button located in the righthand menu. Remember to save any changes.
Updating or adding information to a Gravatar profile
On the next screen, click on the ‘Add WordPress.Com Site’ button to add your WordPress blog.
Add WordPress.Com Site button
Select the WordPress blogs you want to add and click on ‘Add Checked.’
Add your WordPress blogs
Your WordPress blog has now been added to your Gravatar.
Success!
To add other websites such as your Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites, click on the ‘Add Website’ button and complete the details under ‘Add a Website.‘ However, you must ensure you’ve connected them to your WordPress blog first, otherwise, it won’t work.
To remove a website, click on the ‘X’ next to the account you want to delete.
Why is it necessary to add my blogs, social media accounts and other websites to my Gravatar?
So that people can find you easily. Most people won’t bother looking for your blog or social media accounts if they’re not easy to find. Help yourself. Help your readers.
Let’s wrap it up.
Anyone who leaves a comment on a blog post will have a Gravatar.
Your Gravatar gives you the chance to advertise your blogs, websites and social media accounts for free, so make sure you’ve added them.
Adding links to a Gravatar is easy to do and helps people find your blogs, websites and social media accounts.
Just like the ‘about me‘ page on your blog, don’t forget to keep your Gravatar updated and check regally to fix any broken links, add new links or to remove links to accounts you no longer use.
Is your blog attached to your Gravatar? Are you sure? Check now and let me know if you had to add it. If you have any questions about Gravatars, leave me a comment and I’ll get back to you.
Layout, content, settings and format might differ on self-hosted blogs.
Diversity with a Twist at the Carrot Ranch
Click on the image to check out my first post, How Blogging and Rod Serling Helped Me Conquer Dyslexia, on my new column at the Carrot Ranch.
Looking for more blogging tips? Check out this recent blog post.
Did you miss any of these? Click on the blog post titles to go to each post.
Do you have a secure way for visitors to contact you on your website or blog? Are you missing out on opportunities because you don’t have a way for them to contact you? Here’s what to do.
Do you know how many more people read the titles of your blog posts than read the contents of your posts? Once you know, you’ll want to write better titles for all your blog posts. Let me show you how.
Many bloggers agree that having their blog posts shared is one of the best things that can happen in the blogging world. After all, whoever is sharing the post is putting your work in front of a new audience.
I remember when, for the first time, another blogger reblogged one of my posts. As a new blogger, it was one of the most exciting moments of my blogging journey. Even today, I still get a lift whenever one of my blog posts gets reblogged.
But is there anything you should do when one of your blog posts is reblogged?
Yes!
Do You Know What To Do When One Of Your Blog Posts Gets Reblogged?
Unless you’ve switched off your WordPress notifications, you will get an email notification from WordPress when one of your posts gets reblogged. It gives the following information –
which post got reblogged
who has reblogged it
the number of followers it’s been reblogged to
Here’s an example of a recent reblog notification I received after Sally at Smorgasbord Blog Magazine, reblogged one of my posts.
WordPress Reblog Notification
WordPress also notifies users of reblogs in the notifications area (the bell symbol in the top right-hand corner of a WordPress blog).
What should I do when one of my blog posts gets reblogged?
The first thing to do is to thank the blogger who has reblogged your post.
The easiest way to do this is to reply with a ‘thank you’ to the reblog notification in your post’s comments section.
If the person who has reblogged your post has not closed off comments on the reblog they have done, you can also leave a ‘thank you’ in the comments section of their post. Not only is this polite and seen as friendly to do, but you will also get notifications from WordPress of any further comments left on the reblog.
You can then respond to those comments. However, don’t forget to tick the ‘Notify me of new comments via email’ box to ensure you get the notifications.
Don’t forget to tick the ‘Notify me of new comments via email’ box
However, some bloggers, Including myself, choose to disable comments on posts they have reblogged.
Why do some bloggers disable comments on the posts they’ve reblogged?
Because they prefer comments to be left on the original post where they can get seen by everyone reading or leaving comments.
Should I follow the blog of somebody who reblogs one of my blog posts?
If the blogger who reblogged your post is new to you, you may like to look at their blog and consider whether to follow them. However, you should never feel under any obligation to do this.
For example, a beauty blogger once reblogged one of my posts. As I don’t have any interest in beauty products, I chose not to follow her blog, but I did thank her for the reblog.
Should you return the favour and reblog a post of the blogger who has reblogged one of your posts?
Many do, and it can lead to the blogger reblogging more of your posts. However, never feel under any obligation to reblog a post because somebody has shared one of your posts. By all means, please share one of their posts on one or more of your social media accounts but, providing you have thanked them, there is nothing else you need to do.
If they publish content you’re interested in reading, then by all means read some of their posts and leave them some comments. However, don’t fall into the trap of following a blog that does not publish content you’re interested in reading.
Why Do Some Bloggers Reblog Their Own Posts?
Mainly to update and promote older posts that some new followers may not have read.
I use blogging features such as Throwback Thursday and Flashback Friday to promote my older posts.
Let’s wrap it up.
If you have email notifications switched on, WordPress will email you whenever one of your blog posts gets reblogged.
Reblog notifications also appear in the notifications centre of your blog.
Always thank bloggers who reblog any of your blog posts.
Thank them by responding to the reblog notification in the comments section of the post they have reblogged .
If they have left comments open on the post they have reblogged, you can also thank them there.
Don’t feel under any obligation to return the favour and reblog one of their posts, especially if they blog about a subject you’re not interested in.
Don’t feel under any obligation to follow the blog of somebody who reblogs one of your blog posts. Only follow the blogs you’re interested in reading.
Any questions?
Leave them in the comments section.
Is there anything I’ve not mentioned that you do when one of your posts gets reblogged? Do you reblog the posts of other bloggers and, if so, do you expect anything in return?
Today, not only will I take you through a step by step guide on how to reblog a post on WordPress, but I’ll also cover some of the pitfalls of reblogging.
For the purpose of this post, and because I use WordPress, some of this information will only be relevant to WordPress.Com users.
There’s a way to correctly reblog on WordPress
The first thing you need to do is find a blog post that you want to reblog.
Usually, this will be a post that you have thoroughly enjoyed reading and/or will have left a comment on. However, some bloggers use reblogging as a way to promote other bloggers, authors, writers, books, etc.
Let’s get started
At the bottom of a post are the sharing buttons.
In some cases (depending on the WordPress theme) the sharing buttons can be found elsewhere such as towards the top and just to the left of a post.
The screenshot below shows the sharing buttons I have chosen to appear under my blog posts.
WordPress Sharing Buttons
Beneath the sharing buttons is where you will find the ‘Reblog‘ button.
The Reblog Button
Click on the reblog button, and a mini-window will open.
A new mini-window opens when clicking on the reblog button
The next step is optional, but I recommend you tell your readers why you are reblogging the post. After all, you wouldn’t recommend a book, movie, product or hotel to your readers without saying why.
Tell them what it was that you liked about the post and why you’re reblogging it.
Inform your readers why you’re reblogging the post
Just below the text box you’ve filled in, is a list of your blogs. If you have more than one blog or are an author of more than one blog, this will show a list of blogs you can access. Select the blog you want to reblog the post too.
Select which of your blogs you’re reblogging the post on
Click on the ‘Reblog Post’ button.
Click on the ‘Reblog Post’ button
The post will now be reblogged to all your followers.
For some bloggers, this is all they do after reblogging a post. However, there is still more important work to do if you want the reblog to be found by more visitors to your blog.
Go to your blog’s dashboard navigation bar and click on ‘Posts’.
Posts
Find the post you’ve just reblogged, and click on the edit button.
Click on the ‘Edit’ button
Add categories and tags to the reblog.
Don’t forget to add categories and tags to reblogs
Why do you need to add categories and tags to posts you’ve reblogged?
It helps more readers and visitors find it.
You can have a category called ‘Reblogs’ if you like. However, try and categorise the reblog to whatever it is relevant to – e.g. recipes, books, blogging tips, social media, book reviews, etc.
What happens if you don’t categorise a post that you’ve reblogged?
It will show under ‘Uncategorised’, which is of no help to anyone. Did you read my blog post, Are You Making Any Of These 7 Simple Blogging Mistakes? Then you may recall that I compared not categorising blog posts to walking into a library and finding none of the books has been sorted into categories.
Many visitors won’t stay long if they can’t find what they are looking for or your posts are not categorised.
What about adding tags?
You can use some or all of the same tags as the blogger who wrote the post, or you can use your own.
Like categorising, tagging your posts correctly will help visitors quickly find what they are looking for.
If you do not use tags, then it makes finding your post and/or reblog harder to find, and the reblog is less likely to get seen by new visitors.
Press the ‘Update’ button.
Click the ‘update’ button
Should I disable comments on posts I’ve reblogged?
Yes. Why? Because readers then have to leave comments over on the original post. It’s far better to have comments all in one place rather than being scattered across varies reblogs.
Untick the ‘Allow Comments‘ box (which you’ll find under Discussion). You can do this after pressing ‘Update’, but remember to press the ‘Update’ button again.
Turn off ‘comments’ on your reblog
Finally, check your reblogged post to ensure that it looks good, is easy to read, and that any pingbacks you’ve included also work. If you’re happy with everything, then you’re done.
Are there any pitfalls to reblogging?
Yes.
There are a few I am going to list below, but don’t allow these to put you off using the reblogging feature. If you reblog sensibly, then you’ve nothing to worry about.
Media Space
When you reblog a post, any images on that post are added to the media library of your WordPress blog.
This takes up valuable free media space. The more images in a blog post, the more space they will take up. You can buy more media space from WordPress, but not everyone has the funds to do this.
Copyright
We all know that we should never use images and photos that are not ours or free to use.
Before you reblog a post, check any images included in the post and ask yourself if they are free to use.
My blogging friend, Debby Kaye, was fined for having a copyrighted image on her blog from a reblog that she did.
It didn’t matter that Debby never wrote the original blog post because, by reblogging and downloading the image to her blog, she was fined for copyright infringement.
You can read Debby’s post about it by clicking here. If you reblog posts, I recommend you read it.
If you’re not sure if images are free to use, ask the blogger whose post you’re reblogging where they got the images from and if they are free to use.
If you’re not convinced or are still not sure, then don’t reblog the post.
Permission
As crazy as it may seem, some bloggers get upset if you reblog one of their posts without asking their permission to do so first.
It’s very rare that this happens, but I wanted to mention it because it can happen. They may have a reblog button on their posts, but it doesn’t mean they want their posts shared.
If you’ve not reblogged one of their posts before, ask for permission to do so.
However, the majority of bloggers will be delighted that you’ve reblogged and shared their post. You’re less likely to come across someone who does not like any of their content being shared.
Just for the record, I welcome my posts being reblogged.
Any questions?
Leave them in the comments box.
Do you have any tips you’d like to share about reblogging? Share them in the comments section.
Originally written and published in 2017. Updated to take account of new procedures on WordPress.
Have you come across any of these 7 simple blogging mistakes I’ve recently come across? Or are you making any of these mistakes? If so, they’re simple to fix.
Are you making any of these 7 simple blogging mistakes?
1. Not giving readers enough ‘white’ space.
What is ‘white’ space? It’s the break between paragraphs that helps give the eyes a bit of a rest, making reading your blog post more comfortable.
Opening a blog post and being faced with vast blocks of paragraphs isn’t an attractive look unless you enjoy looking at brick walls that have no top or bottom.
How to fix the problem.
Split your paragraphs up, so they contain no more than four sentences. This gives visitors a more comfortable read.
Inserting images between paragraphs is also considered ‘white’ space. Your blog post will look more inviting to read.
2. Not adding a link to the next part of a post/story.
Have you ever wondered why some parts of a blog post don’t do as well as previous parts?
I recently read the first part of a short story split up into several parts because of its length. However, there was no link to part two, so I had to hunt the post down. I had to do the same for the next four parts.
Given that many readers have limited time, not all of them will be like me and hunt down the next part of a blog post.
How to fix the problem
When you publish a blog post you’re splitting into parts, go back to the last part and, at the bottom of the post, add a pingback to the next part. Then, readers can click through to the next part after finishing reading the part they’ve just read.
You can also add pingbacks to previous parts at the beginning of a post.
3. Creating pingbacks to the ‘home’ page of a blog
Have you ever wondered why somebody has not thanked you for linking to one of their blog posts? It’s probably because you’ve linked to the ‘home’ page of their blog.
When creating a pingback to the ‘home’ page of a WordPress blog, no notification is sent. Therefore, the owner of the blog may be unaware that you’ve linked to their blog.
How to fix the problem
Don’t create pingbacks or links to the ‘home’ page of any blog. Always create them to a blog post (unless it’s the home page).
Not sure what the ‘home’ page of a blog is? Most bloggers have a link to their ‘home’ page on the menubar of their blog. Click on mine and, in the comments, tell me what the ‘home’ page of my blog is.
4. Allowing WordPress to close down your blog post when clicking on pingbacks.
Do you get frustrated when you click on a pingback, and the new page opens in the same window as the post you’re reading?
Okay, you could click the back button to go back to the post you were reading, but how many of us do that?
If the pingbacks you have created open in the same window as the blog post they’re on, you could be missing out on people sharing or leaving a comment on your post. And how many of those people will click on any more pingbacks on your posts, knowing they’re going to lose the page they’re reading?
How to fix the problem
Ensure you tick the ‘open in new tab‘ box when creating pingbacks.
5. Inserting full HTTP addresses in the body of blog posts
We’ve all seen them, haven’t we? And we probably have all inserted them in blog posts or on websites before learning about pingbacks.
Not only do full HTTP addresses make blog posts look untidy, but they also make blog posts uninviting to read, especially if there are lots of them.
How to fix the problem
Create a pingback to the page or website you’re linking to instead of inserting the full HTTP address. The pingback can be one word in your post or even a whole sentence and looks much better than seeing the full HTTP address.
Imagine going into a library and finding none of the books are categorised. Instead of going to the history section to find a book on the six wives of Henry VIII, you have to hunt through all the books in the library to find it.
Now imagine somebody coming to your blog to find a recipe for chocolate chip cookies, only to find there are no categories. You’ve filed every blog post under ‘uncategorised,’ and there are hundreds of posts to look through.
A blog with no categorised posts looks messy. It gives the impression that the owner doesn’t care about it or anyone who visits looking for information.
According to Janice Wald of MostlyBlogging.Com, you should always categorise blog posts. Janice says, ‘Too many bloggers overlook this simple tip that can result in benefits for both you and your readers. Picking a category results in more traffic for you and a boost in readability for your blog visitors.’
Hugh’s blog post shows how to categorise your blog posts
7. Using incorrect colour combinations
I recently came across some blog posts where the owners had made it difficult for visitors to read all or parts of their posts.
One blogger had a dark green background and was using black font. I could hardly read any of their posts.
Another blogger had coloured the blocks on their post dark blue and changed the colour of the font to dark green. While the rest of the post was easy to read, the colour combination they’d used in the blocks spoilt my enjoyment of the post because I couldn’t read them.
Which one of these is more easy to read?
Can you read this?
Can you read this?
How to fix the problem
The best colour combination is a white background with black font.
If you want to change the background and font colour in your blog posts (or in blocks), make sure the colour combinations are suitable for visitors to read. Preview the post first before publishing it. If you can’t read it, then nobody can.
If you’re unsure which colour combinations to use, stick to using a white background with black font.
What are the most common simple blogging mistakes you keep coming across? Join the discussion and leave details in the comments.
Layout, content, and format might differ on self-hosted blogs.
Looking for more blogging tips from Hugh? Check these out.
Adding a well-written excerpt to a blog post or page can help generate lots more traffic to your blog.
This post shows you how to add excerpts to your blog posts and pages.
Do you know how many more people read the titles of your blog posts than read the contents of your posts?
Once you know, you’ll want to write better titles for all your blog posts. Let me show you how.
Every week, I get contacted via the ‘Contact Hugh’ button on my blog’s menu bar. If I didn’t have a way for visitors to my blog to contact me securely, I could have missed many opportunities.
Blogging Tips From Hugh
Many of those who contact me usually ask me questions about blogging.
However, I also get people contacting me with guest posts invitations, information about my books, and even business opportunities to advertise on my blog.
Suppose somebody can not find a secure way of contacting you. In that case, they may well pass on any opportunities they wanted to offer you to somebody else.
Don’t miss out. Have a secure way for visitors to contact you rather than leave an unsecured comment on one of your blog posts.
How To Create a ‘Contact Me’ form.
On the navigation bar of your WordPress blog, click on Pages and then on Add New.
Pages
On the lefthand side menu of the page that opens, click on ‘Contact.’
Contact Templates
There are four templates to choose from. However, most of them require you to add personal information such as your email address, home/business address and contact phone number.
Unless you’re a business blogger, never share any personal information on your ‘Contact Me’ form or anywhere on your blog. Keep those details safe and away from spammers and spambots. These details include your personal email address, address, phone number and date of birth.
Instead, open a blank template by clicking on the ‘Blank Page‘ button located at the top of the menu.
Give your new page that has opened a title such as ‘Contact Me‘ (I use ‘Contact Hugh’), and click the ‘add block‘ button.
Title your page and click on the ‘add block’ icon
In the search bar, add ‘contact‘ and select the ‘Contact Form‘ block.
Select the ‘Contact Form’ block
Save and preview the form before publishing it on your blog.
I have also added a line above my contact form informing visitors how to contact me securely. Here’s what it looks like.
My ‘Contact Me’ page
I also recommend adding some tags and an excerpt to your page/contact form before publishing it. Also, decide whether or not you want visitors to the page to leave any comments. Note – not all WordPress themes allow you to add tags to pages documents.
Add tags and an excerpt to your ‘About Me’ page
Now we’ve created a ‘Contact Me’ form; it’s time to add it to your blog’s menubar.
On the navigation bar of your WordPress blog, click on ‘Appearance and Menus.’
Appearance and Menus
Choose either an existing menu or create a new one.
Adding a button to your menu bar
As I already have a primary menu on my blog, I’m going to add a button for my ‘Contact Hugh’ page to it.
Click on the ‘Add Items‘ button and scroll down the list of your pages and find the ‘Contact me‘ form you’ve created. Click on the ‘+‘ symbol next to it.
Adding a button to your menu bar
Save your changes by clicking on the ‘Save Changes‘ button at the top of the page.
Your ‘Contact Me‘ button now appears on the menubar of your blog. Here’s an image of where it appears on the menubar of my blog.
Hugh’s ‘Contact Me’ button
Click on the ‘Reorder‘ button to change the order of the buttons on your menubar.
Want to reorder the buttons on your menu bar? Click on the ‘reorder button
Don’t forget to click on the button you’ve just created to make sure it’s working.
Let’s wrap it up
It’s important to have a secure way for visitors to your blog to contact you. Many will not like leaving unsecured messages containing personal information and/or opportunities in the comments section of a blog post.
Creating and publishing a ‘Contact Me’ form on your blog is the perfect way for visitors to leave you secure messages.
Creating a ‘Contact Me’ form is easy to do.
Adding a ‘Contact Me’ button to a menu on a blog is easy to do.
Make sure your ‘Contact Me’ form is easy to find. The best place to put it is on the menubar of your blog.
Any messages sent to you via your ‘Contact Me’ form will be emailed to you by WordPress.
Messages can also be viewed by clicking on ‘Feedback’ (just under ‘Comments’ on the dashboard of your blog).
Make sure you respond to messages sent via your ‘Contact Me’ form as quickly as possible.
Don’t publish personal information anywhere on your blog. This includes, your personal email address, home address, phone number and date of birth. Don’t give scammers a chance of obtaining your personal information.
Does that help? Do you have any questions? Feel free to leave me a comment or contact me via the ‘Contact Hugh’ button.
Layout, content, settings and format might differ on self-hosted blogs.
Have you ever noticed the three horizontal dots next to each of your blog posts and wondered what they are for?
These three dots are known by numerous names, my favourite being a ‘Meatball Menu.’
“Not sure what I’m referring too? Here’s a screenshot pointing out the meatball menus.
The Meatball Menu
But what happens when you click on a meatball menu? This –
The Kebab Menu
The three horizontal dots change to three vertical dots (known as a Kebab Menu), and eight options appear.
Let’s investigate each option.
Edit
Click this button to edit or update a post. Don’t forget to press the Update button to save any changes you make.
View
This button does so much more than just show you a preview of your post. It also shows a preview of the post as it appears on a desktop computer, tablet and phone.
The View Option
And if you click on the Search & Social button, you’ll also to be able to preview your post as it will appear on Facebook, Twitter, and as a Google search.
I recommend you always preview your post first to ensure that it’s mobile-friendly, especially given that the majority of people view blog posts on tablets and phones.
Stats
Click this button to check the latest daily, weekly, monthly and yearly stats of a post.
You’ll also be able to view which other bloggers have pressed the ‘like’ button on the post.
View who has liked a post
Hover your mouse over any of the profile icons to display the name of that blogger’s blog.
However, a name will only appear if they have a WordPress.Com blog. It does not work for self-hosted blogs.
Click on an icon to view a list of all the blog posts of that blogger, how many followers they have, and a follow button (WordPress.Com bloggers only).
If you’re already following them, the ‘follow’ button will be replaced with the word ‘following.’
View more details of a blog
Press the Settings icon (under the follow button) to display and set notifications settings for that blog.
Notification settings
Comments
Along the top, you can view the following information for a post.
How many comments it has received.
How many comments are pending (waiting for approval).
How many comments have been approved.
How many comments you or WordPress has marked as spam.
How many comments you sent to the trash bin.
Your replies to comments also show on this page.
You can also sort comments out by newest first and oldest first.
There is also a ‘bulk edit‘ button that allows you to perform a command (approve, unapprove, send to spam, send to trash) with just one click. However, the ‘bulk edit’ is only done per page, so if you have lots of comments, you’ll need to bulk edit each page.
Sorting out the comments
You can also perform the following –
Approve a comment.
Mark and send a comment to the spam folder.
Send a comment to the trash bin.
Like a comment.
Edit a comment.
Reply to a comment.
Comment administration
To the right of each comment, is a ‘User Info‘ button. Clicking on this button reveals the following information.
The name of the commenter’s WordPress blog.
The commenter’s email address.
A link to their blog.
The I.P address of the commenter.
On the following image, I’ve blurred out the email and I.P address as this is personal information which should never be revealed on a blog post.
The User Info button
Did you notice something else in the above image? Did you see the ‘Block User‘ button? This is my most significant discovery when clicking on ‘User Info.’ If you press ‘Block User,’ any further comments from that user on any of your blog posts are sent directly to your WordPress trash folder.
Share
This is a neat button which allows you to share details of the post to all the social media accounts you have connected to your WordPress blog.
Click on the ‘Share Post‘ button to share the post.
The Social Media share button
The preview button displays how your post will look on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Tumblr.
You can also manage all your social media connections by clicking on ‘Manage Connections.’
Copy Post
This is my favourite of all the options on the Kebab Menu.
Not only will clicking on this button duplicate your post, but the categories and tags of the post are also copied over.
This is especially beneficial if you run a daily/weekly/monthly blog challenge, series, or promotional posts on your blog.
It’s saved me lots of time in not having to copy and paste or reenter links, images, text, tags, and categories.
I also use the ‘copy post’ function for posts which have the same layout (such as my ‘Wordless Wednesday’ and ‘Flashback Friday’ posts).
However, if you write excerpts for your blog posts, remember to change the excerpt before publishing the post. Otherwise, (as I discovered on one of my posts) the excerpt may not make sense.
Copy Link
A link to the post is copied to the clipboard of the device you are using. You can then paste the link into an email, message, website, blog post, etc.
Trash
Clicking this button will send your post to your trash folder.
If you click it by mistake, you can reinstate the post from the trash folder.
Let’s wrap things up
There are eight hidden options available to WordPress.Com users on the page that displays all their blog posts.
The options are hidden behind a menu known as a meatball menu.
When opened, the meatball menu opens up a kebab menu that lists all the options available.
Some of the options do exactly as they say on the can.
However, other options lead to lots more options and functions.
The comments option has an hidden ‘Block User‘ button – great for blocking comments from those you don’t want leaving comments anymore.
No need to copy and paste anymore – The copy option not only copies an existing blog post, it also copies over the categories and tags you have on that post.
It’s worth checking out all of the options, especially as some of them are time saving functions.
Have you ever used any of the options and functions behind the meatball and kebab menus?
If you have any questions regarding this post, please leave them in the comments section.
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