ProBlogger: Should You Blog Anonymously or Use Your Real Name?

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Should You Blog Anonymously or Use Your Real Name? Posted: 26 Dec 2019 03:31 AM PST The post Should You Blog Anonymously or Use Your Real Name? appeared first on ProBlogger. This post is based on episode 122 of the ProBlogger podcast. One of the decisions you face when starting a blog is whether or not to use your real name. It can be a tricky decision, because there are pros and cons to whatever you decide. You can choose anything from 'no anonymity' through to 'full anonymity'. For instance, you could: Blog under your real name and promote it prominently on your blog. This is what I do ProBlogger. You could even take it to the extreme and use your name as your actual domain name (and thus the name of your blog). Blog under your personal name without promoting it. This is what I do on Digital Photography School. My name is on the About page and on the articles I've written, but that's about all. Blog under an alias, or use just part of your name. The alias you choose could be a pen name (such as "Johnny B. Truant"), your maiden name or a former name. It could be something that could never mistaken for your actual name (such as "The Blog Tyrant"). You could also use just your first name or your surname (such as "Mrs Woog" from Woogsworld). Blog without using any name. Some bloggers keep their identity a secret, which they do for all sorts of reasons. Which is the Best Option? There's no 'right' choice. What you go for depends on what you're comfortable with and what suits your blog. My blogging on ProBlogger has always had a personal tone. It includes anecdotes about my life, videos of me, and so on. But while I don't hide who I am on Digital Photography School, I don't go out of my way to make the blog about me either. When you're considering whether to be anonymous (or how anonymous to be), you might want to consider these factors. Six Factors to Consider When Deciding Whether to Use Your Real Name #1: Your Topic and Type of Content Some topics invite transparency, while others don't. And some types of content are more personal than others. A "how to" style site such as Digital Photography School can be more anonymous than a site that focuses on personal stories. #2: Your Medium (Text, Audio, or Video?) If you'll be writing posts and using stock images then it will be relatively easy to hide your identity. But if you plan on doing videos or podcasts, or even using personal photos in your posts, it will be harder to remain anonymous. #3: Your Long-Term Plans While you may not know how you want things to be in a few years' time, your long-term goals for your blog could determine how anonymous you can be. For instance, if you want to build an online platform to help sell books you've written, you may well want to use your own name. But if you want to build a blog to sell in a few years, or that will have multiple authors, you might want to be anonymous (or at least keep the focus on the content instead of on you). #4: Your Monetization Methods Some monetization can easily be done anonymously. For instance, you can monetize your blog through ads or affiliate links without ever using your name or even a pen name. But if you want to make money as a consultant, speaker or coach, your readers will need to know who you are. And if you plan on becoming an influencer, you'll need that personal connection. Even selling ebooks or other digital products will be easier if your audience feels they know who you are. #5: Your Personality Some bloggers enjoy the limelight. They love featuring in 'Top bloggers' lists and getting mentioned in the media. But it will be hard to become this popular if you don't blog using your name. Other bloggers are happy to avoid the spotlight, and may feel quite daunted by this kind of recognition. If that's you, then blogging anonymously or under a made-up name might suit you best. #6: Your Privacy or Safety Needs Depending on your circumstances and your topic, it may be vital for you to remain anonymous.. I know a number of bloggers who avoid using their real name for various reasons: a health blogger who feared revealing who she was would jeopardise her career a family lawyer who didn't want her clients and colleagues finding her online a blogger who didn't want to be identified by an abusive ex-partner a blogger who wrote about an embarrassing health condition. If you're still not sure, here's one thing to keep in mind: you can always add your name, but you can't take it away. Plenty of bloggers start off writing anonymously and then begin to use their name (such as Ramsay Taplin, who began blogging as "The Blog Tyrant"). And there's nothing stopping you from doing the same—starting out anonymously, or using just your first name and not putting photos on your site, and then being more open about your identity over time. Image credit: Jessica Rockowitz The post Should You Blog Anonymously or Use Your Real Name? appeared first on ProBlogger.

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ProBlogger: How to Handle Critical and Attacking Comments from Blog Readers

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How to Handle Critical and Attacking Comments from Blog Readers Posted: 19 Dec 2019 03:30 AM PST The post How to Handle Critical and Attacking Comments from Blog Readers appeared first on ProBlogger. How do you deal with criticism? When you put yourself out there as a blogger, the feedback you get isn't always as constructive as you'd like. It can even verge on being an aggressive or personal attack. While I've only experienced it a handful of times in my blogging career, it can be difficult to deal with. So what can you do if it happens to you? Well, you can always look at the bright side. Any feedback you get is proof that someone's reading your blog and noticing you. But you should also consider the kind of feedback you're getting – and who it's coming from. Evaluating Negative Feedback Regardless of where it comes from – email, private messages, social media posts or blog comment – you should always evaluate the negative feedback you get. You need to decide whether: it's worth paying attention to you need to act on it. Here are some questions to consider. If it's a blog comment, is it within the boundaries of what you consider acceptable? You can always delete comments you find abusive or otherwise unacceptable. Is there some truth in the feedback? Have had heard it before? Are there improvements you could make? Is there anything positive in the feedback, or perhaps some common ground you can focus on? Is the feedback from someone you've interacted with before? Are they just having a bad day, or has it been ongoing? Is the feedback anonymous? Is it a troublemaker, a troll, or someone looking for attention? What were they trying to achieve? What they're said previously, their tweet history or other comments they've made might give you clues as to what their agenda might be. For me, it comes down to trying to understand the other person's intent and responding to that, rather than just to the words they used. There may be an opportunity to help them and make a positive connection. Of course, that's not always easy. You may need to step away from the computer for a bit. You may even want to involve a friend, family member or fellow blogger and get their take on the situation. How to Respond to Negative Feedback Depending on the type of feedback you received, you can respond in different ways. Responding to Trolls If the comment is purely trolling – someone being deliberately provocative and looking for a reaction – your best options are to: Delete it. If it's an offensive comment on your blog, you always have the option of deleting it. Ignore it. Trolling on social media is usually best ignored. Respond very politely. This can be a little passive-aggressive, but being polite and kind in your response can sometimes be effective. Responding to Critics If the comment seems to be coming from someone who's genuine rather than a troll, you might want to: Clarify. If their negative feedback makes it clear they misunderstood the point you were making, you might want to clarify what you intended. Take responsibility. If you made a mistake, take responsibility for it. Debate. If it's a difference of opinion, you can stand up for what you think while also listening thoughtfully to the other person's side. Agree to disagree. Sometimes people aren't willing to debate. But you can still be polite and agree to disagree. Should You Respond Publicly? It might seem logical to respond in the same medium. For instance, if someone criticised you in a blog comment it might seem logical to respond to that comment. But with negative feedback, it's often best to move to a more private communication  channel such as email – especially if the exchange is becoming increasingly heated. Offer to have a private email conversation with them and see if they're willing to take you up on it. If they are, it often suggests they have a genuine issue (rather than just trolling or trying to get a reaction). It's also important, where appropriate, to respond with genuine care for the other person. Perhaps their angry comment or tweet makes it clear they're coming from a place of pain or hurt. If that's the case, you could email them to say you noticed their comment and wanted to see if everything is okay. This can be really effective, particularly if you know the person to some degree and their comment seems out of character or they’re clearly going through something difficult. The person will often apologise for what they said and be grateful you responded with genuine kindness and care. In some cases, it's also appropriate to leave your community to respond to the negative feedback. (But keep an eye on this. You don't want a huge argument breaking out in your comments section.) Finally, remember that negativity is often much more about the person dealing it out than about you or anything you've written. More of the feedback you get will be positive, so don't let the fear of negative comments or feedback put you off blogging. Just make sure you're ready to respond appropriately where possible. Image credit: Chris Sabor The post How to Handle Critical and Attacking Comments from Blog Readers appeared first on ProBlogger.

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ProBlogger: Are Blog Comments Still Worthwhile … Or Are They a Waste of Time?

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Are Blog Comments Still Worthwhile … Or Are They a Waste of Time? Posted: 12 Dec 2019 03:55 AM PST The post Are Blog Comments Still Worthwhile … Or Are They a Waste of Time? appeared first on ProBlogger. A decade ago, new bloggers were often advised to leave comments on other blogs to start building traffic to their own blog. But is it still worth doing? For years, there's been a lot of debate in the blogging world about comments. Plenty of big blogs have disabled (and sometimes re-enabled) comments on their blogs, often due to spam or the time spent moderating comments. With the rise of social media, many readers turn to Facebook or Twitter to share their thoughts about a post. So a lot of blogs find they only get a tiny handful of comments on each post. So is it worth leaving comments on other blogs at all? Yes, although it depends on why you want to. Reasons You Might Comment on Other People's Blogs There are a number of  reasons why you might want to comment on other people's blogs. And some of those reasons are better than others. Reason #1: You Have Something Interesting or Useful to Add Think about your own blog. Do you want readers commenting just to say "great post"? Or would you rather they add to the conversation? If you've got a story or tip to share, or even some words of encouragement, comments can be a great place for them. Whatever your reason for commenting, you should always have something to say. If you can't add to the post in some way, then it's probably not worth commenting. Reason #2: You Want to Connect With the Blogger (and/or Their Readers) Commenting on blog posts can be a great way to get noticed by bloggers – especially if you comment fairly frequently. Of course, you want to be noticed in a good way. You don't want them thinking, "Oh no, not again!" But if you comment in a positive and helpful way, the blogger – and other readers – will start noticing you, and may well respond to your comments. It can be a great way to start a relationship if you want to pitch a guest post or ask for their help in some way. Reason #3: You're Trying to Get Your Name Out There in Your Niche Do you want to build a reputation for yourself? Commenting on large blogs can be a good way to do that. If people see your comments on several blogs in your niche, it can give them the impression that you're everywhere. (Keep in mind that more people will read comments leave a comment, so the readership for your comments might be a lot larger than you think.) While commenting alone won't help you build name recognition, it can complement other strategies such as guest posting or interviewing experts to get your name more widely recognised by your target audience and potential customers. Reason #4: You Want to Drive Traffic to Your Blog This is why many bloggers have for leaving comments, but it's not the best one. If your sole reason for commenting is to get traffic, those comments can quickly lose their quality because you're trying to post as many of them as you can. It can also lead to some commenting habits that annoy bloggers, such as putting something other than your actual name/pseudonym in the "name" field. Using the name of your blog or a keyword related to your niche makes the comments section look a bit spammy, and your comment could be deleted. Reason #5: You Want a Backlink Another reason some new bloggers leave comments everywhere is they think it's a good way to build backlinks to their blog that will in turn raise their standing in Google. And that's not a good reason at all.  Not only does it encourage spammy comments, it's also flawed login. Most blogs set their comment links to be "nofollow" (WordPress does this by default), which means the link you get will contribute very little (if anything) to your SEO efforts. For more tips on leaving great comments, check out The Ultimate Guide to Leaving Comments on Blogs and podcast episode 20, How to Leave Comments On Other Blogs.   So is commenting worthwhile? It depends on your goals and why you're doing it. But why not give it a try? Spend a couple of weeks leaving thoughtful, useful comments on blogs you regularly read. You don't need to go overboard. You might aim to leave three comments each day, focusing on posts where your comment can be one of the first (which is much more likely to get read). See if this makes a difference to your traffic, and let us know how you got on. Image credit: Pavan Trikutam The post Are Blog Comments Still Worthwhile … Or Are They a Waste of Time? appeared first on ProBlogger.

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ProBlogger: How to Rekindle Your Blogging Enthusiasm

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How to Rekindle Your Blogging Enthusiasm Posted: 05 Dec 2019 03:26 AM PST The post How to Rekindle Your Blogging Enthusiasm appeared first on ProBlogger. Have you hit a slump in your blogging? Perhaps you haven't posted anything in weeks or even months because your enthusiasm for the topic has gone and you're finding it hard to be consistent. Or maybe you have been posting regularly, but are now starting to feel fed up, exhausted, or even burned out. Here are six ways to turn things around. #1: Take a Proper Break from Blogging If your blogging enthusiasm has been waning for a while, or if feels like yet another chore on your to-do list, it's probably time for a break. Take some time off from your blog. If you've been blogging regularly, let readers know you'll be away for a month, or however long you want to take. You might be worried it will have a detrimental effect on your blog, or lead to people unsubscribing in droves. But instead, think of it as an opportunity. Post links to some of your best posts and/or products for them to look at while you're gone. And encourage people to sign up for your newsletter so they'll know when you start blogging again. Tip: Before you start posting again, make sure you've got a content calendar in place and (ideally) some posts drafted. It will make it much easier to start blogging again the way you want to. #2: Reconnect With the Reasons Why You Wanted to Blog Why did you start blogging? It might have been to make money. But it might also have been to share your ideas with the world, or to enjoy exploring and writing about one of your passions. Have you lost your "Why?" in the busy day to day of blogging? Look at what you've already achieved. Even if you haven't met your financial goals, you'll have learnt a lot. And chances are you'll be able to check off some key blogging milestones. Tip: Save the nice emails and comments you get from readers. Knowing one of your posts made a difference to someone's day can be motivating – especially when your enthusiasm is waning. #3: Reduce How Often You Blog Are you trying to blog too much? It's easy to lose enthusiasm when you have to crank out post after post without having enough time to: think up truly good ideas promote the content you're creating to make the most of it. You definitely don't need to post every day to have a successful blog. Some bloggers do fine blogging just once a week, or even less. The quality of what you produce is much more important than the quantity. If dropping down from three posts a week to one would make blogging more enjoyable for you, then do it. Tip: There's no 'perfect' blogging frequency. But try not to change it around too much. Readers like to know roughly what to expect. Pick a frequency that you can easily stick with (e.g. one post a week). #4: Make Sure Your Content Aligns With Your Goals Trying to make money from your blog? Then your posts need to help you do that. Of course, you'll want to write content you think will appeal to your readers. But try to pick post ideas that work well for things such as affiliate links and reminding readers about your products and services. This will help: engage your current readers, and give new ones an additional portal into your blog prompt your fans to check out something you recommend or purchase something from you. Tip: If you're struggling to find ways to monetize your blog, take a look at these six income streams recommended for bloggers. #5: Get Some Help Blogging can be lonely, especially in the early days when you're trying to grow your blog and build an audience. It can also be difficult to handle everything yourself. You may have lost enthusiasm after a lengthy technical battle with your WordPress theme, or trying and failing to design a great-looking logo. There's lots of help out there, from fellow bloggers in the ProBlogger Community Facebook group to designers, developers, assistants and others who can help you manage and grow your blog. Tip: If you enjoy growing your blog and business but struggle with writing, why not hire some writers to help create content for you? #6: Consider Whether You're in the Right Niche Have you lost enthusiasm for your niche? New bloggers often pick a niche they think will be lucrative. But while that's completely understandable, it can also lead to writing in a niche you don't really care about. If you feel you've said everything you want to say about your niche, or if it's a topic that no longer feels like a good fit, then perhaps it's time to change the direction of your blog. You could even start a new blog in a completely different niche. Plenty of well-known bloggers went through several different ideas before finding one that stuck. Tip: While some bloggers run more than one blog at a time, it's tough to do this successfully. If you're struggling with enthusiasm for your blog, don't try to start a new blog and keep up with the original one. Put the old blog on hiatus. Are you less than enthusiastic about blogging right now? Share what you're going through with us in the comments below, and tell us what you'll be doing to rekindle your enthusiasm. Image credit: Kristopher Roller The post How to Rekindle Your Blogging Enthusiasm appeared first on ProBlogger.

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“Black Friday Blogging Deals – Believe the Hype!” plus 1 more

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Black Friday Blogging Deals – Believe the Hype! Posted: 28 Nov 2019 03:44 AM PST The post Black Friday Blogging Deals – Believe the Hype! appeared first on ProBlogger. We always caution ProBlogger readers not to buy something unless you need it, no matter the deal. BUT.... Right now is a great time to minimize the costs of your blogging by taking advantage of the incredible bargains available on the essential services you require to run your blog.  The momentum that has built behind Black Friday and Cyber Monday encourages sellers to offer attention-grabbing discounts in order to cash in on an upsurge in sales volume. Yes, there is a lot of hype to wade through but some of these deals are well worth your consideration. The ProBlogger Team has curated a Black Friday / Cyber Monday shopping list of the best deals from the top suppliers on the products and services you may need.  If you've been following ProBlogger for a while, you'll recognise many of the brands on the list, because we've been using them ourselves and also recommending them for years. These companies are the best-in-market at what they deliver and have been reliably serving their customers over the duration. ProBlogger may receive a small commission on your purchase of some of these services, at no cost to you, and sometimes you get an even better deal than is otherwise available. So, if you're a smart blogger, and you can synchronise your subscriptions and payment cycles to coincide with these sales events, you can certainly benefit by getting something you would normally buy, a lot cheaper than you'd normally pay. Service Deal Coupon Period Purchase Namecheap domain name registration up to 97% off none Friday 28 Nov - Monday 2 Dec Shop SiteGround web hosting 75% off  all plans none 3am EST Monday 29 Nov - 3am EST Tuesday 3 Dec Shop Bluehost web hosting up to 60% off none Ends 11:59 EST Monday 2 Dec Shop WPEngine web hosting 5 months FREE CYBERWKND30 Ends 2 Dec Shop StudioPress themes $100 off Pro Plus Package none Thursday 28  Nov – Monday 2 Dec Shop OptinMonster lead generation 35% off  any plan none Ends 11:59pm EST Friday 29 Nov Shop Learndash courseware (plugin) 50% off  all plans BLACKFRIDAY50 ​ CYBERMONDAY50 7AM-4PM EST Friday 29 Nov  7AM-4PM EST Monday 2 Dec Shop Teachable courseware (hosted) $299/annum usually $348 none Friday 28 Nov - Monday 2 Dec Shop WooCommerce ecommerce (plugin) 40% off  all themes and extensions BLACKCYBER2019 Friday 29 Nov – Monday 2 Dec Shop WordPress.com  ​ecommerce (hosted) 20% off  ecommerce plans BLACKCYBER2019 Friday 29 Nov – Monday 2 Dec Shop Cell Cell Cell Cell Cell We'll be adding more deals here over the weekend, so bookmark this page and check back to see what else is on offer. The post Black Friday Blogging Deals – Believe the Hype! appeared first on ProBlogger.

What Can You Blog About When All the Good Ideas Are Already Taken? Posted: 28 Nov 2019 03:42 AM PST The post What Can You Blog About When All the Good Ideas Are Already Taken? appeared first on ProBlogger. When you're trying to come up with a great idea for a blog post, does it seem like every topic has already been done to death? You might want to write about your ten favourite WordPress plugins. But a quick Google search shows there are dozens of similar posts. Maybe you want to share your experience of raising children, but you know loads of blogs already covering similar ground. Whatever your idea is, there's a good chance there's already something similar out there. Here are five ways you can make the most of your idea, regardless of what's been done before. #1: Look for What Others Aren't Saying Is there something people aren't exploring or covering on their blogs in your niche? Perhaps there's a particular area that doesn't get written about much, or some received wisdom no-one ever seems to challenge. It can be tricky to spot the gaps in what others are covering. But if you can find something that's only ever covered in passing, or something bloggers don't seem to address at all, it could make for a great post. #2: Turn Your Idea On its Head Some "already taken" ideas could become fresh and new with a quick tweak. For instance, instead of "The Ten Best WordPress Plugins", how about "Ten Surprisingly Popular WordPress Plugins to Avoid" or "The Ten Most Pointless WordPress Plugins"? You could still use a post like this to share plugins you do like by either: giving alternatives to each plugin you cover offering a list at the end of the post. With a post like "Ten Lessons I Learned as a New Parent", you could try, "Ten Lessons I'm Still Learning" or "Ten Things My Baby is Better At Than Me". They might provide a heartfelt or funny look at the topic, giving readers something fresh. #3: Come Up with an Unusual Angle Can you pick something outside your niche to help you create an interesting analogy? For instance, you might write a post linking one of your hobbies with your topic – "What Knitting Has Taught Me About Writing", or "Five Great Blogging Lessons I Learned From Playing the Piano". Bringing together two disconnected ideas isn't a new technique. In fact, it's something I was advocating back in 2005. But it still works, and it can make for some great, memorable posts. #4: Make Your Post More Valuable If you're covering a topic that's been done by lots of other bloggers, look at ways to make yours more valuable than theirs. That could mean: Going deeper: instead of just listing and briefly describing ten plugins, you could write a review of each one that mentions pros and cons and suggests alternatives to try. Making it longer: instead of writing a list of ten plugins, you could create a huge list of 50 or 100 plugins. Formatting better: instead of just listing the plugins and describing them, you could include screenshots to show them in action. You could also pull out key points in bold text or even in a box. #5: Narrow Your Focus If you've come up with a fairly general topic idea (e.g. "The Ten Best WordPress Plugins"), you could narrow the topic and/or the audience. For instance, these posts would have less competition and appeal much more to people looking for specific information: The Ten Best WordPress Plugins for Weight Loss Bloggers The Ten Best Contact Form WordPress Plugins Ten WordPress Plugins Every Six-Figure Blogger Uses Ten Overlooked SEO WordPress Plugins to Try Today Building On What Others Have Said You might find yourself wanting to write a post that builds on what someone else has said or written. Perhaps you heard a particular point in a podcast you think bears further discussion, or you came across a thought-provoking idea in a book. Maybe you read a passionately argued blog post that you completely disagree with. It's fine to build on someone else's work as long as you acknowledge it. For instance, you might do one or more of the following: Include a direct quote. This can be a great way to use someone else's words as a starting point for your own thoughts. (Just make sure you're using the quote in a legal and ethical way.) Link to the blog post, podcast, or book you were inspired by. It's always good practice to link to someone when you quote them. But even if you're not using a direct quote, it's often helpful to include a link. Explain that your post was inspired by someone else. You might mention that you heard them talking on a particular podcast and that it got you thinking. Your ideas might not be original, especially if you're blogging in a large and crowded niche. But your approach to those ideas, and the way you cover them, certainly will be. Do you have a good tip for finding original ideas, or providing a fresh take on well-worn ones? Share your thoughts in the comments. Image credit: Kelly Sikkema The post What Can You Blog About When All the Good Ideas Are Already Taken? appeared first on ProBlogger.

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