This is Day 2 of 31 Days to Build a Better Blog, a group project 50+ other bloggers are doing together in an effort to help each other become better bloggers. You can read more about it and still sign-up to participate here.
What an awesome first day we had in this series yesterday. I am blown away! To see my observations from yesterday check out 6 Things I Learned from Day 1 of #31DBBB.
Today’s lesson is about the list posts. If you’ve been reading blogs for any length of time, you know list posts are very popular. In fact, we have done our fair share of list posts here at Christian Web Trends. Here are some examples…
Top 5 List Posts on Christian Web Trends
- 20 Ways to Share Your Faith Online
- Top 10 Signs Your Church Website Needs a Redesign –
- The 10 Commandments of Social Networking
- 12 Ways to Ensure Easter Attendees Don’t Come Back to Your Church Next Week
- 10 Things I Learned from the Online Church Blog Series
The lesson gives several reasons list posts are so popular. They are easy to write. They’re easy to read. They break the main point up into clearly identifiable bite-size nuggets. In fact, you could make the case that list posts are the Chicken Nuggets of blogging. (Would you like some dipping sauce with that?)
Personally, I have my own theory for why list posts are so popular…
Geeks like numbers.
But that’s just one number-loving geek’s theory. (Full discloser: I was on the math team in high school)
Assignment
The assignment for today is to write a list post for your blog. If you’d like some more advice about writing list posts, check out 10 Steps to the Perfect List Post
Discussion
- Do you agree that list posts are both easier to write and easier to read? Why or why not?
- Of all the tips you’ve read about list posts, which do you think are the most important?
- If you did the assignment and wrote a list post, include a link your comment.
The Extra Mile
A few other things you can do to take your blog, other bloggers, and this project even further today…
- Reply & give other bloggers feedback on their list post
- Go back to 31DBBB – Day 1: The Elevator Pitch & check out the elevator pitches.
- Tweet, share, & bookmark this post. (You could win a $25 gift card!)
- Ask & answer questions about blogging but unrelated to elevator pitches in the forums.
[…] Web Trends Blog « 31DBBB – Day 2: Write a List Post 31DBBB – Day 1: The Elevator Pitch […]
Good morning! My list is up.http://j.mp/9SKZoU
You already know I think you rock the blog hizzy!
I love it when people think boxside the out!!! Great job.
Love the way you've turned what is essentially a blog post into a list. Took me a few seconds to adjust but loved the madness in the method.
Love the way you've turned what is essentially a blog post into a list. Took me a few seconds to adjust but loved the madness in the method.
Love the way you've turned what is essentially a blog post into a list. Took me a few seconds to adjust but loved the madness in the method.
That's very nice of you to say, Stuart. Running now to check out your blog…
That's very nice of you to say, Stuart. Running now to check out your blog…
I liked your list post. Good use of humour especially if you meant it to be funny. 😉
Sometimes the humor creeps in when I least expect it, but this time it was on purpose. Thanks!
1. Haha! Who would think
2. to take a list
3. and turn it into
4. a wistful poem.
Very creative–great job!
I love your list…haha! Thanks!
From the Dalai Lama to the Kentucky Derby. Yup, it's a list all right. 🙂
http://greeninventionscentral.blogspot.com/2010/0…
Great POST!! Funny and I learned some stuff. I'll be name droppin' you in my blog before long to cash in.
Interesting approach.
I have two twitter ID's – the one I use and the experiment. I use the experiment purely to enter any comp I find interesting and the only other things I tweet are keywords or names – and guess what, doing just that has gained me a bigger following than my main account.
I gues it's true then that name dropping does work just be aware of how you do it.
Okay, humorous yes, but if I was searching for one of those people/items and a search engine brought me to your site I'd just be frustrated. You may get a boost in your stats once, but you wouldn't have retained a reader.
Interesting approach.
I have two twitter ID's – the one I use and the experiment. I use the experiment purely to enter any comp I find interesting and the only other things I tweet are keywords or names – and guess what, doing just that has gained me a bigger following than my main account.
I gues it's true then that name dropping does work just be aware of how you do it.
Love it, love it, love it. It is so real and so humorous! I'll need to make reference to your list post just to improve my blogging. Awesome job!!! And how did you get that related post note on your site so that you could display the 31 Days to Building a Better Blog. I'm "Miss Tech No" so I haven't a clue, and I'm not sure my sons can help me with this one.
Blessings,
Janis
I like your creativity. Funny list.
Here is my list post for the day. Bible Study For Beginners:http://larrywestfall.com/bible-study-for-beginner…
This Pastor learned something from your post about studyin'. Right on target with the lists!
Larry – great post though I got a little confused as to where the list was.
Then I realised you were using multiple lists with each one answering / adding to the before it. Nice touch.
L.L., I was just thinking as I posted my article for today… I am not sure that traffic is the answer to our success as bloggers. If you generate traffice by name dropping and people show up to your site but are not interested in the content that is there then you really haven't achieved anything. For most of us we want engagement, a loyal community. Much like what happened on this blog yesterday. A group of people with a common interest willing to help each other and sacrifice time and energy to make each other better. I am not sure that name dropping will accomplish that.
You are obviously very creative and quick-witted. It may be a better use of time to create content that your community can rally around. I typed this as I was thinking it. Didn't really contemplate it much, but it seemed like a good thought as I was writing.
Got my list
http://www.ronniespoon.blogspot.com/
orhttp://www.speakinggraceonline.com (click on Blog)
Wendy… the list @http://ronniespoon.blogspot.com is a great list. Not only is it a list post but it makes available and promotes the other work that you are doing.
On the other bloghttp://speakinggraceonline.com is it a common practice for you to duplicate the content from the other blog. I only ask because I have heard that the search engines penalize for duplicated material and it may effect your traffic flow that would generate from searches.
Wendy… the list @http://ronniespoon.blogspot.com is a great list. Not only is it a list post but it makes available and promotes the other work that you are doing.
On the other bloghttp://speakinggraceonline.com is it a common practice for you to duplicate the content from the other blog. I only ask because I have heard that the search engines penalize for duplicated material and it may effect your traffic flow that would generate from searches.
Didn't know that. I will check into that.
Didn't know that. I will check into that.
Great Post Erica. You've got a very 'happy' blog, great sense of humor.