Blogging 101
The beginning of each year always brings new bloggers into the fold. Welcome!
So you’ve picked a name for your blog and a theme and you are ready to go. Now you hope people will read it. How do you accomplish that?
Fellow blogger Becoming Cliche has written an awesome post for both new and seasoned bloggers entitled “How To Write a Blog So That People Will Read”.
Have you been over to Becoming Cliche? Heather has a fabulous sense of humor. She writes on a variety of subjects and I am always entertained. You are likely to read a post about how a tortoise made her late for lunch, or a Moon Pie (a classic), or about the latest greatest book she has reviewed.
Getting back to her post. She states upfront that she is writing it as a reader and not as a blogger. However just take a look at her subscriber numbers and the fact that she has been “Freshly Pressed”. I think she knows a thing or two about blogging. And no, I am not just suggesting her post because she mentioned this blog favorably (oh yes she did and I am over the Moon Pie about it 🙂 ).
Do yourself a favor. Stop over and take a look. I think you might find some good tips.
Blog Hopping 101
One way to build subscribers and readers is to read other blogs and leave comments. Another is to join Blog Hops (like this one which takes place every Thursday hint hint). New bloggers can sometimes be intimidated by hops and reluctant to join. Or maybe that was just me?
But as I discovered hopping is easy!
The first thing you need to do is to write a post that fits the subject of the hop. The Thursday Barks and Bytes Hop is about anything so anything goes.
Once you publish your post you need to add it to the hop. Most hops use some sort of linky tool or list to show the blogs that are participating. Just follow the instructions that go with the tool to enter your post into the hop. You will need to add your post address and whatever other identifying information the hop hosts require. Finally you need to add an image for the list. Once you have finished doing these simple steps, you are part of the hop!
However you are not done yet. Most hops have some sort of badge that you can add to your post to let other hoppers identify your post as part of the hop. You can usually grab the badge from the bloggers who are hosting the hop. I have the Thursday Barks and Bytes badge on my side bar and in each Thursday Barks and Bytes post.
You also need to do at least one of these two things: link back to the hosting blogs or insert the linky code into the HTML screen on your dashboard. (If you are a wordpress blogger it is the “Text” screen.) You can get the linky code from the linky tool where you added your link. There are usually two codes. One is for blogs that allow java script and the other is for those that do not. Select the code that fits your blog.
That’s all there is to hopping. But you are not completely done yet because there are a few niceties that you should try to follow when you join a hop. It is good manners to try to visit the other hoppers and leave a comment. The idea is to meet other bloggers not just join a hop. I know there are times when everyone gets busy and just cannot make it through a list. I am guilty of that myself. But I do try to do the best I can even if I am a few days (or maybe a week) late. (Unless you use Google+ for comments. If you do, sorry but I can’t leave a comment because Google+ doesn’t always play nice and allow me to comment in the name of my blog.)
I already mentioned trying to post something that fits the theme of the hop, but also try to add a current post. A post that is several days or even weeks or months old is kind of unfair to all the other hoppers who have published new material especially for the hop. If the idea is to build readers then adding a new post will probably impress readers more than recycling a post. Also adding more than one post to most hops tends to be overkill for the other hoppers who are trying to read all of the linked posts. Unless the hop is one that requests multiple posts, it is probably best to link up just one post.
So that is it. Simple right? Now you are ready to hop!
Thank You
I have a couple of thank yous.
First thanks to Flea and Jones Natural Chews for sending the brown dawgs a package of Chicken Taffy (one of their favs). We were among the top 5 commenters of Flea’s blog and we were handsomely rewarded.
Second, another thank you to Becoming Cliche. We won a give-away of an e-book of Mixed Feelings which is the review I linked to above. I can’t wait to dive into it.
Our Own Give-Away Winner
Congrats to @e7296663 who was the winner of the Whistle activity monitor.
Thanks to everyone who entered.
Finally, have you heard about our latest give-away for a $50 Amazon gift card? Details on how to enter here.
That is a wrap for this week!
This is the Thursday Barks and Bytes Blog Hop hosted by Heart Like A Dog and 2 Brown Dawgs.
Great post!! I am going to go and check out that other blog you mentioned! 😀
Thanks. Hope you enjoy!
Great post and super informative! Thanks 🙂
You are welcome!
Being a newbie this was really helpful, thank you. I’ve joined one blog hop already – at first I couldn’t get my head around it, but it really is as simple as you say. Now I just need to work on the schedule – it’s been great meeting other bloggers too 🙂
We would love to have you join us every Thursday. 🙂
We will go check out Becoming Cliché. Thanks for mentioning it. Have a tremendous Thursday.
Best wishes Molly
Hopw you had a good one Molly!
Hi Y’all!
Never again! I just had a tussle with Linky and Twitter. Neither one wanted me to join up! The very nerve…and to think that I said I had no bytes today! Geez!!!
Great post. I’ve visited Becoming Cliche before, but haven’t had time for awhile. Going to check it out.
When I first glanced at Thunder and Storm I thought I was seeing fleeing deer. BOL! Fleet of foot and flying eared Chessies! Go!
Y’all come on by,
Hawk aka BrownDog
LOL I wrote about them looking like two deer on facebook yesterday. I thought they looked like deer with long tails!
I saw me as I started my blog while reading…. I still remember the moment as the first one read my blog. It was Stuart the Scottie… it was like winning an owlympic medal :o)
And now you are famous Easy!
Thank you for the awesome post and information. I am trying to learn about blogging. I have started small with just a facebook page until I figure this out. All the bloggers I have interacted with so far have been very helpful and great. I am still new and learning. Thanks for the great information. Kim at Pug Squared on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pugsquared
Best of luck to you. Posting regularly on Facebook is like a mini blog. I bet you could make the transition any time you want. 🙂
Your big babies deserve the best treats. 🙂 And thanks for the heads up on Becoming Cliche! Looking forward to visiting.
They are sure enjoying them. 🙂
What a nice surprise to come here and see such kind things written about me. Thank you so much!
I should get involved in a Blog Hop. Not only is it a great way to meet other bloggers, it’s a good way to gain some discipline. And a post idea!
You are welcome. I used to use hops for post ideas and found them really helpful. They are great for bloggers staring out.
Funny you should title your post “Blogging 101 and Blog Hopping 101” — I’m in the midst of taking WP’s “Blogging 101” course. I just haven’t had time to do any of the assignments since last week. I need to get back to it; but I’ve got a full week of appointments in between taking care of the 3 crazy dogs.
I had not hear of that course. i should check it out. 🙂
What a great “how-to”. I sure could have used it when I first started out! I had read in a book that visiting other blogs was the way to promote yours and once I started finding ones I liked and commented, I got some new readers (that weren’t my family or friends…ha ha), I eventually got up the nerve to join a hop. Things went much better after that!
I don’t do as well at visiting all the links in a hop as I should. But if I can’t make them all, I try to do a minimum of two things: at least visit and comment on the hosts’ blogs, and visit at least one blog that is new to me or that I haven’t visited for a while. I can always at least accomplish that!
There is a book? Oh man I was so clueless when I started. I did not know any of this stuff. I just kind of hung around and it took me years to figure it all out…lol. I remember joining my first hop and not wanting to add my email to the linky…lol.
Love the photo of Thunder and Storm hopping snow piles! I checked out Heather’s Becoming Cliché blog and it was great.
Come back tomorrow and see some really jumping. 🙂 Glad you enjoyed Heather’s blog.
Blog Hops were such a revelation for me when I discovered them! I really feel like I become part of a community because of them. I’ve made so many virtual friends.
Also… love the picture of the leaping pups!
I agree hops are a great way to meet other bloggers. Stop by tomorrow and see Thunder really jump!
Great post, super informative. Thank you
Thanks for stopping by!
If we host a hop, we always visit everyone that joins, but when we join a hop, we often don’t have time to get to all the blogs, especially on the big hops. We try to visit at least five other blogs we don’t normally read, and sometimes we do visit all the blogs, but it is courtesy to visit what you can, very important.
Those Wordless Wednesday hops can be killer…lol. I was kind of addressing it to new hoppers who are hoping to discover new blogs.
I had never heard of that blog but I THANK YOU for sharing (that AND this ENTIRE pawtastic post!) I just signed up to follow her!
Great. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Wow – informative, fun – you’re cramming so much into a Thursday!
I know….lol. I have some planned posts coming up so I wanted to make sure to cover these topics. 🙂
Great tips for budding bloggists! Now I’m off to check out the article…
Thank you Donna!
Thanks, that was some good information.
You are welcome. We would love to see you hop with us. 🙂
I think you summed it up very nicely in an easy to understand way. When I first started I had no idea what a blog hop was never mind how to insert the code. Thankfully Pamela at Something Wagging took pity on me and sent me an e-mail. 🙂
I’m off (after I read the next post) to check out Being Cliche’.
Hope you enjoyed Heather’s blog!
Thanks for explaining this so well, you explained it to me many moons ago and I did it and been doing it ever since. Congrats on the taffy, we still need to try that, rats we didn’t win the whitle gaget, next time.
The Whistle people picked the winner. 🙂 Just happened to be a Chessie owner!
Great post and wonderful tips for growing your blog. Joining blog hops and commenting on some other great blogs connected me to the wonderful pet blogging community, all of which lend a great deal of help and support.
Thank you Jen!