There’s a joke that asking someone their opinion on procrastination should result in them giving you an answer later. How do you handle procrastination in anything? Take Daniel Scocco’s advice; tackle it in pieces. This is nothing really new. We got this lecture from our parents and many of us learned the panic that comes from realizing your 4 month science assignment is due after you get off the school bus.

Well, we have another gem from Daniel Scocco on how to make your blog better. I have to say that I get more from this particular gentleman than anyone else when it comes to ideas on blogging. Daniel has provided a list of things you can do to keep your readers from nodding off when reading your posts. While there are some things he lists that are pretty self-explanatory, there are others which invite discussion. One such item was to make every post entertaining. Scocco really means to make sure there is some humor involved. I would say that while humor goes a long way, placing a joke in every post can undermine your message sometimes. Think about it this way; have you ever had a friend that was always cracking jokes while you were trying to discuss a serious topic? You probably started getting rather annoyed. And I believe we have to treat our posts as a conversation sometimes, a conversation that takes place over many days instead of a few minutes. And if you are always joking around, I have to think your readers will start to get a little annoyed. Humor is a great way to connect with people, but it can also be a shield to hide behind if you’re not careful. Use humor, but don’t sacrifice your message for a joke in every post.

I’m still getting used to taking my own advice sometimes. In terms of speaking with a voice that has an opinion, I don’t always do that. More often than not, I post something that has both sides of my topic. I do have some posts where I will state my opinion, but I always add some kind of disclaimer. Sometimes, you just have to be true to yourself and not apologize for it. If you have an opinion (and I’m talking to myself more than anything right now), just express, don’t be a jerk about it and don’t look for a fight. We’re all here, wanting nothing more than to share ideas and maybe a laugh here or there.

Last week, I went off the deep end on a fellow blogger publicly over his choice of content on a particular day. He had done nothing but provide fluff in his article. I never mentioned his name out of courtesy, but I bring it up to illustrate the difference between a so-so article and one that is outstanding. I read about what Daniel Scocco calls the blog post checklist. It’s a list of things to make sure that your post is as good as it can be. This article lists some things I had never thought to do such as proofreading (A no-brainer, but one that I am guilty of neglecting from time to time), crafting the title and checking the links. This is the criteria for a great article in my mind. An article that offers advice and information in a practical manner is one that I consider great. If that article is able to alter your behavior toward the positive, then so much the better. So-so articles only offer the same information in a different way. I plan to make use of this article and all it has to offer in terms of advice and action.

I read blog post today that claimed to give advice on how to survive the daily challenge of building a blog. This guy had 5 “lessons” he’s learned from starting his own blog and serves as a perfect example of the type of instant gratification society we have created. Here are his 5 lesson boiled down to 3 statements:

1. Find out what works
2. Work hard
3. Don’t quit

Wow, am I glad I took the time to read that.  I’m not going to link to his blog because I don’t want to embarass him, but this is pretty rudimentary stuff.  If you look through my blog archive, you’ll see posts promoting the same thing. If you are happen to read this blog, you know that creating anything is a process and that time is needed to bring that process to fruition. Class is dismissed.

By the title, I don’t mean to say that blogs exist solely to make money or that they shouldn’t be used that way, but I read earlier today that blog creation and the following that develops can be done differently. Some people who develop large followings have the gift of diverse experiences, funny comments and good insights. If you are lucky to have all three of these, you will probably build a very successful blog, but you won’t know it until it happens. Most people who have blogs that are like this are just as surprised as anyone when it becomes popular.

The simpler and easier thing to do is just find your niche and build your blog. I have a friend who repairs music instruments and has quite a reputation for quality work. If he were to start a blog, he would want to stick to topics concerning his area of expertise and attract other readers in that niche. He would probably struggle to find readers if he tried to broaden the topic of his blog.

I was reading an article by Daniel Scocco in which he discussed how to guarantee your comment will be removed from a blog. Remember, I’ve mentioned before that commenting on other blogs is a great way to promote your own blog as well as create more interaction in the cyber-community. But, there are traps to avoid if you want to make sure you don’t have your comment removed. There are some obvious tips, such as not using bad language or verbally berating the author or another commentor. There are some new tips that I have to admit I have been guilty of in the past.

While I don’t write in all capital letters, which is the equivalent of shouting to the community, I have overdone my comments from time to time with extra html code to make certain ideas stand out. There’s really no need. If you haven’t used your comment to write a completely new article and youare clear and concise with your ideas, people will understand your point. And, this is almost one of those “D’uh” type of tips, but I never thought about it. Leaving one line comments such as “Great Post” adds nothing to the discussion. If you don’t have time to make a comment at the time, come back when you have a chance to make a meaningful contribution.

With every blogger wanting to capture readers, it goes without saying that if every blogger did nothing but write on his own blog, there would be no interaction between anyone. Sometimes, bloggers are the most prolific commentors. If you want people coming to your blog to check out your ideas, you need to sally forth and announce your presence on other blogs. Find a blog that discusses the same topic you do and engage the blogger by leaving a comment. You can even leave a link to your blog in your comment. I wouldn’t do this all the time, especially if you comment on a particular blog multiple times. If you really want some fun, find a blog that discusses the opposite point of view from your blog and leave a comment and link. Now, we do want to foster communication and discussion, so name calling and similar juvenile behaviors will not foster positive interaction. So, get out there, let the internet world know you exist, and keep it civil.

This bit of advice comes from Edward Khoo and is something that not only applies to websites and blogs but to life in general. That is the area of criticism. It’s inevitable; at some point someone is goign to come along and not like ar understand 100% what you’re trying to accomplish via your online endeavor. As a result, they will offer their opinion on what you should do. Now, before mentioning a few of Mr. Khoo’s ideas, I have a couple of my own. First, you have to realize that criticism can be a wonerful when offered by the right person, and it can also have the potential to be downright mean coming from the wrong person. The right person’s comments can make you better if you’re willing to take what they say and objectively see the pros and cons. The wrong person’s comment can be beneficial is terms of giving you an opportunity to turn the other cheek. My dad used to say that opinions are like rear ends: everyone has one and they all stink. While I’ve come to adopt that philosophy to only a few opinions, I still listen to others when they have an issue with something I do. Read what Mr. Khoo has to say here.

If you’re looking to catch the attention of readers in your area of expertise, you’re going to need to make use of keywords. Keywords and links are what Google uses to determine how to rank your website or blog. So, if you want people coming to read, you need to make sure you’re using good keywords. For instance, let’s say you want to blog about womens bathrobes, you’ll want to make sure you use words people would type in to search for something like that. Also, if you want to have a blog about mens jewelry, you’re going to need those keywords. Now, if this is already your area of expertise, you’ll know some of the lingo or jargon. Inserting it naturally into your blog post is the next step. You can’t just insert your keywords into random spots. Google seems to be able to detect when you’re just loading a posts with certain words. What you have to do is insert your keywords in a way such that it seems like not having them inserted reduces the power of your message. So, find the right words, then insert them naturally, and you’re on your way to catching the eye of the reader.