Tips for Geneablogger Writers and Readers
Tips for Geneablogger Writers and Readers … actually should be called Tips for Every Reader or Writer of Blogs, as it is actually for everyone who reads and/or writes blog posts, which obviously includes those in the geneablogger scene, but this goes far beyond just them.
From my two or so years that I’ve now been blogging, through my various blogs, these are tips that I have picked up along the way. You may agree with some, and not others. And others may have more tips to add. By all means feel free to do so.
FOR WRITERS
Tip 1. Allow comments on your blog.
Yes you will get spam, but wouldn’t you like to know that someone enjoyed your post so much they wanted to comment on it. Or if someone has googled and has come up with the name of your great grandpa who you wrote a post about a year ago, and they wanted to get in touch with you – don’t make it hard for them to do so. It’s off putting.
Tip 2. If you use photographs on your blog, label them.
By labelling them, I don’t mean caption them (though you need to do that too). I mean the title you give your photos, rather than the P1200983 that your digital camera, or scanner automatically names it as. If you have scanned a picture of your grandma’s and grandpa’s wedding back in the 1940s, don’t just leave it as the default name, name it as “wedding of Annie Smith and Alf Harford 1941”. When people Google for the name, your picture will come up. Trust me you will get new contacts through this.
Tip 3. Put share buttons on your blog.
People do like to share posts, and as lazy as we’ve become, hitting the ‘share on Facebook’, ‘share on Twitter’ or Google+ button is so much easier than copying the link into a URL shortener then copying the title and putting that onto the social media program of choice.
Tip 4. Have a search function on your blog.
I do find it rather frustrating when visiting blogs, and I know I’ve seen something on them before, and I have to manually go back to earlier posts, as there is no search function.
Tip 5. Use images, here’s a heap for free.
If you’re wanting some general images (ie. not your own family) to add that little bit of pizzazz to your blog, you can use the Microsoft Office images for free. Yes, FREE!! Another alternative (not expensive, but does cost) is BigStockPhoto.
FOR READERS AND WRITERS
Tip 6. If you read a blog post and you liked it, leave a comment.
Or if you’re on social media share the blog on Facebook, Twitter or Google+. Us writers do like to know that our posts are being read.
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While writing this post I was reminded of one that I had read previously from fellow geneablogger Geniaus on Blogging in a Two Way Street. When she posted that back in 2010 I was a reader of posts, not a commenter. So I thank her and others in the geneablogging community for enlightening me to the value of commenting and sharing posts. Hopefully others will learn to value of it along the way too.
7 Responses to “Tips for Geneablogger Writers and Readers”
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Hear, hear Alona.
In something that I wrote fro an article yesterday I said ” I highly rate those blogs that are easy to find, access and navigate; blogs are a collaborative medium so bloggers need to make it easy for readers to interract with the blogs and bloggers. ”
The tips you suggest go a long way towards doing what I suggested.
Thanks for the comments and encouragement Jill.
Thanks Alona for a helpful post. I’m pretty sure I have been utilizing all the tips you suggest but I didn’t know about the free images so thanks heaps for that.
Some great advice Alona. Thank you.
I have now put the ‘share buttons’ on my blog. I also tested my search function but it doesn’t work!!! Think I will need to find a new search function gadget that works!
Someone also told me recently, that in Blogger (using the properties tab on photos) that you can put in related key words that will also appear in a website search so I am doing this now too.
Sharon
Great tips, Alona, I agree with everything you say, and you put it so well. And that’s a useful reminder from Jill, too.
Well said, Alona. When I am speaking at libraries and family history groups, I often recommend blogging for genealogy – and in future I will refer people to this post, which gives a ‘non-frightening’ explanation for newcomers.
To Kerryn, Sharon, Frances & Judy – thankyou to each of you for your support and comments.
Kerryn – glad I was able to enlighten you about the free photos
Sharon – your blog is looking great, see how far you’ve come and it’s not even a year yet is it?
Frances – reminders are always a good thing aren’t they
Judy – by all means direct people to this post