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Blog Exercises: I Don’t Have Any Comments

August 10, 2017 – 4:31 am

I hear this complaint frequently from new and long time bloggers. “I don’t have any comments. How can I get more comments?” First of all, let me explain something. You don’t want comments. Yes, that’s right. You do not want comments. At least not comments from anyone. If you just want comments, be content with […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blog Exercises, Blogging | Tags: blog comments, blog exercises, comments, how to comment, interactivity | Comments (2)

Blog Exercises: Define Your Community

April 6, 2016 – 4:45 am

In this Blog Exercise, it is time to start building a community around your blog. If you have one, it’s time to re-evaluate it to ensure you keep it. We will start with defining your community. Your blog topic should give you a clear indication about demographics of your online community, but it might not […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blog Exercises, Blogging, blogging tips, Writing | Tags: audience, blog audience, blog community, blog exercises, community, community building, defining your audience, defining your readers, demographics, interactivity, site community, social media, web writing | Comments (7)

WordPress School: Polls and Surveys

March 26, 2015 – 2:59 pm

Coming up soon in Lorelle’s WordPress School free online course is a huge section on interactivity with WordPress, learning about comments, integrating social media, social media automation, and how to encourage and support such interactivity without draining your time, energy, and emotional being. To help you get started thinking about how you can use your […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blogging, blogging tips, WordPress, WordPress School, WordPress Tips, Writing | Tags: comments, feedback, interactivity, learn wordpress, polldaddy, polls, social, surveys, wordpress guide, wordpress help, WordPress News, wordpress school, WordPress Tips, wordpress tutorials | Comments (6)

Blog Exercises: If You Wouldn’t Do It In Public, Would You Do It Online?

December 3, 2013 – 4:01 pm

If you wouldn’t do it in public, would you do it online? Unfortunately for many, the answer is a resounding YES! However, most of us have some…whatever you call it…oh, yeah, class, ethics, moral fiber, manners – etiquette. I’m not the Dear Abby of social norms, but I’m first in line to tell you that […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blog Exercises, Blogging, blogging tips, Writing | Tags: blog exercises, blogging tips, code of ethics, comment spam, comments, content, cussing, dumb ideas, ethics, interactions, interactivity, language, moral value, privacy, security, sharing, social media, social web, spam, swearing, web writing | Comments (2)

Blog Exercises: Trust the Crowds

November 8, 2013 – 5:21 pm

In an October issue of “Science News,” an article on the “Deep Network” monitoring of the sea floor, reported on how the general public may monitor the sea floor through the Neptune system of underwater microphones and web cams through LIDO (Listening to the Deep Ocean) (requires Flash). New discoveries have been made by citizens […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blog Exercises, Blogging, blogging tips | Tags: alturism, blog exercises, blogging tips, campaigns, competitions, contests, crowd source, crowd sourcing, interactivity, readers, social media, social web | Comments (7)

Blog Exercises: To Comment or Not to Comment

September 24, 2013 – 4:28 am

In the September 20, 2013, issue of the New York Times, an article caught my eye called “No Comments.” It is also available on Umano via mobile app or desktop for a listen. The article by Michael Erard discusses comments on the web, including a long look back at the history of interactivity on the […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blog Exercises, Blogging, blogging tips, Writing | Tags: blog exercises, blog history, blogging history, comments, communication, history, history of comments, history of the web, interactivity, social, social web, trackbacks, usenet | Comments (4)

Blog Exercises: The Secret Sauce

August 30, 2013 – 4:02 am

In “Letters to Laurali” on Laurali Star Diaries, author Larauli responded to her first “letter to the editor” on her site. The request was from a fellow blogger asking for help blogging. Blogging has changed her, she admits. Laurali has soared, stretching her wings with glory and radiating in the new connections she is building […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blog Exercises, Blogging, blogging tips | Tags: audience, authority, blog exercises, blogging, blogging tips, character, charisma, comments, community, fans, how to blog, influence, interaction, interactivity, persona, personality, professional bloggers, professional blogging, respect, secret sauce successful blogger, social, successful blogging, trust | Comments (6)

Blog Exercises: Creating Influential Connections

August 29, 2013 – 4:59 am

In “Why a Link Post Should Be Like Mingling at a Party,” my friend Jan of Circular Communication described it this way. Imagine you are at a party. You mingle and meet someone you know. You do not know her well, but well enough to appreciate her. You also have an idea what interests her, […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blogging, blogging tips, Writing | Tags: blog exercises, blog writing, external links, influential links, interaction, interactivity, link recommendations, linking, links, recommendations, relationships, the power of the link, trackbacks | Comments (7)

Blog Exercises: You Shouldn’t Have Started with a Question If You Didn’t Want it Answered

August 28, 2013 – 11:56 am

In the movie, Big Fish, the son tries to describe to his father how little he knows him. Will Bloom: You know about icebergs, dad? Senior Ed Bloom: Do I? I saw an iceberg once. They were hauling it down to Texas for drinking water. They didn’t count on there being an elephant frozen inside. […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blog Exercises, Blogging, blogging tips, Writing | Tags: big fish, blog exercises, blogging tips, comments, communication, conversation, dialog, interaction, interactivity, metaphors, questions, quotes, social web | Comments (1)

Blog Exercises: The Daily Social Meme

August 22, 2013 – 4:07 am

Did you know that there are specific memes for each day of the week in the blogosphere and social web? Today is your chance to play around with some of these themed days of the week in this blog exercise. A themed day, or meme, is a tradition of sorts. It involves publishing and sharing […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blog Exercises, Blogging, blogging tips, Writing | Tags: blog exercises, blogging prompts, blogging tips, comments, content, daily memes, editorial calendar, interactivity, memes, planning, schedule, social, social media, social memes, social web, web writing, writing prompts, writing tips | Comments (6)

Blog Exercises: I Don’t Have Any Comments

August 16, 2013 – 4:02 am

I hear this complaint frequently from new and long time bloggers. “I don’t have any comments. How can I get more comments?” First of all, let me explain something and I want you to read closely. You don’t want comments. Yes, that’s right. You do not want comments. At least not comments from anyone. If […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blog Exercises, Blogging, blogging tips | Tags: audience, blog conversation, blog exercises, comment box, comment spam, comments, conversation, demographics, dialog, interactivity, social web, web writing, writing for the web, writing for your audience | Comments (11)

Blog Exercises: Trackbacks Come Again No More

July 4, 2013 – 4:27 am

The power of trackbacks is to track the discussion of articles on your site across the web. They are generated automatically by the post when it is published, sending a trackback response to your site. When the referring site owner moves their site, makes a domain name change, or does a total makeover that causes […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blog Exercises, Blogging, blogging tips, WordPress, WordPress Themes | Tags: comment spam, comments, duplicate trackbacks, interactivity, managing comments, managing trackbacks, spam, trackback spam, trackbacks, wordpress, WordPress Themes, WordPress Tips | Comments (5)

Blog Exercises: Are Your Comments Open for Business?

July 2, 2013 – 4:21 am

Are your comments closed? Are they set to moderation? Are your comments wide open for all without question or challenge? Are you comments open for business? In “You Must Be Logged In To Comment” I wrote: Why do people turn off open, unregistered comments to require people to login in order to comment? I’m not […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blogging | Tags: akismet, blog comments, blog exercises, blog writing, blogging tips, comment box, comment moderation, comment spam, comments, comments are closed, how to blog, how to comment, interaction, interactivity, moderation, spam, turn off comments, Writing | Comments (18)

Blog Exercises: Become Your Own Fan Blogger

June 11, 2013 – 4:25 am

Fan blogging is one of the most challenging types of blogging. Fan blogging is blogging about a celebrity, television show, movie, sports team, sports player, criminals, or other groupie subject. Today’s blog exercise examines the art of fan blogging and how to learn from fan blogging to create your own fan club around your blog. […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blog Exercises, Blogging, blogging tips, Writing | Tags: blog exercises, blog plan, blogging, celebrities, celebs, community, community building, db ferguson, entertainment, fan blogging, fan blogs, fan-based blogging, fans, how to blog, interaction, interactivity, no fact zone, plan, planning, social, social networks, stephen colbert, web writing, Writing | Comments (3)

Blog Exercises: Building Blogger Relationships

May 29, 2013 – 4:13 am

During many of these Blog Exercises I’ve talked about the power of linking across the web, especially with bloggers. This blog exercise is dedicated to helping you make the connection you want and need come true. Do you have a blogging mentor, a blogger you wish to get to know better, feel a connection with, […]

By Lorelle VanFossen | Posted in Blog Exercises, Blogging, blogging tips, Writing | Tags: blog exercises, bloggers, building support network, community, community building, friends, how to contact a blogger, interactivity, mentors, network, networking, relationships | Comments (23)