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May 8, 2008 Leave a Comment

Five Days of How-To Posts: A blog experiment offering helpful information in bullet-point form

What makes a post popular?On my blog, which is an unfocused mish-mash of ideas that flit through my mind at any given moment, the all-time top posts are as follows:

  1. Castile Soap for a Simpler Life (and blemish-free face)
  2. Thick and Chewy, Fast and Easy Pizza Dough
  3. Overnight Crockpot Steel-Cut Oatmeal

What am I doing posting about the perils of my attempts to multi-task?Why bother typing up Katherine Paterson’s thoughts on Beauty?Blog-readers want TIPS.They want HELPFUL INFO.Why do I kid myself and write posts about something cute my kids said, or about some Deep Thought I’ve come across in a book or at a conference? I need to be writing bullet-pointed how-to posts that empower people in some way.My brief blog-analysis reminded me of other surprise hits that were “tip-ish” in nature:

  • Six Ways to Refresh Your Mind gained a lot of popularity since I posted it in February 2007.
  • 10 Simple Ways to Class Up Your Act (a notch) caused a spike in the stats in its day.
  • Thanks to linkage from a Top Mama Blogger, How the Cuckoo Found its Voice also brought in some new readers who joined me in considering the joy of resurrecting old, neglected, forgotten hobbies and skills.
  • Crepes? Mai, Oui! offers my Americanized instructions on how to prepare this French specialty.
  • Quiet Time Round-Up included a collection of devotional and Bible study tips that I gathered into one place. Several people appreciated the effort. It was………helpful!

Helpful ideas, step-by-step how-tos, and tips. Tips, tips, tips.And yet….And yet people flock to the clever writers, the funny folks, the great photographers. The Dooces and Boomamas and Pioneer Women of the world. They do offer some helpful tips along the way, though, so maybe it all comes down to TIPS. And if you’re funny, too, all the better. And if your funny and can take great pictures, you’re a shoe-in to becoming a Blogging Superstar.By the way, have you seen Dooce make the rounds on talk shows representing the power of Blogging Mommas? She was in the Wall Street Journal a couple of weeks ago and was scheduled to be on the Today Show either yesterday or the day before.I usually try to save tip-type posts for Rocks In My Dryer’s Works For Me Wednesdays (talk about TIPS–she’s a Tip-Warehouse!).But now I’m curious what would happen if I specialized in tips for a few days?Not that I have that many ideas to offer the world.It’s not like I’m Family Circle magazine personified.But if I talked to friends and thought about it, I might be able to pull together a few “collections” under some kind of theme.If I can manage to pull it off, I just wonder if my titles ended up How-To in flavor instead of story-driven or essay-style, how that might affect things?I feel an experiment coming on.Five Days of How-To Posts: Experiment with Helpful Posts that Offer Value Implementing Quick-and-Easy TweaksHonestly, just to be clear, I love my faithful readers and those who pop in now and then. You’re fun, encouraging, and insightful. You’re writing great stuff of your own. I love the community of like-minded people who drop in here to see what my radar has picked up and posted; and I try to visit yours, as well. So don’t ever question my satisfaction and gratitude for how you let me be myself here.I guess I’m just curious what would happen if I tweaked my content for a few days.Feel free to join me on this experimental venture. You, too, can try posting nothing but helpful, how-to, informational content for a few days.Just to see.Don’t you wonder?I guess I’d better wrap this up and start making some lists.

Filed Under: blog, Blogger, blogging, change, creativity, self-discovery, simplicity, writer, writers, writing Tagged With: helpful tips, how to, tips

Comments

  1. Llama Momma says

    May 8, 2008 at 12:45 pm

    Thank you for the trip down “old posts” lane. I loved the one about the nightgown. That sounds like something I would do!

    Reply
  2. Robin (PENSIEVE) says

    May 8, 2008 at 2:12 pm

    Ann,

    The WORST thing I ever did was install a stat checker on my blog; readership (and commenting) has plummeted, and I find myself scratching my head over it. Get this–subscriptions are unbelievable! I wish I knew NONE of it.

    I don’t know how to tell my most popular posts; I do know I’m googled a lot for certain things, but I haven’t noticed the type pattern you mentioned. Then again, I haven’t written many posts like that.

    I’m just not able to visit other blogs like I want to (and once did). It’s frustrating….so much so, sometimes, I wanna walk away from it at times. The thing is…I’m compelled to write! I guess I need to understand THAT’S my focus (and accept it) and not be concerned about comments.

    Interesting experiment you’re trying…I wonder if I can come up with anything like that next week….

    🙂

    Reply
  3. Monica- Paper Bridges says

    May 8, 2008 at 2:21 pm

    do you read problogger.net? he’s got great tips on this sort of thing. I especially appreciated his post about blogrolls vs. links-in-posts. It surprised me which was more important.

    Reply
  4. Stretch Mark Mama says

    May 8, 2008 at 2:54 pm

    Make sure you title your posts “8 ways to this” or “7 wahoozies to that” and things like that. Always popular.

    And photography? *I* think it would be hilarious if you would do a pioneer woman spoof post, just for kicks. *I’d* read it twice, but I guess that doesn’t count.

    And you know who I’ve really liked lately? Anne Jackson, flowerdust.net. Her posts are always snippy and short and participatory.

    Reply
  5. annkroeker says

    May 8, 2008 at 2:55 pm

    Llama Mama: Oh, yes. My nightgown dress. Flouncing around town…sigh.

    Robin: I spoke with a blog-friend who shall remain unnamed, but she said she never wants to know…she’d rather be free to write whatever she’s compelled to write regardless of how many or few people are visiting. I think she’s very wise. Sounds like you’re coming to a similar conclusion–that being compelled to write is reason enough. From day one, WordPress provided numbers. The top posts are on the main adminstrative page whether I want to see them or not. So I guess it just occurred to me that they were all “tip” oriented, and I got this tip-idea. Plus, it’ll give me some structure for the next few days. I love, by the way, how you’ve created structure for your blog. You always have something going, especially encouraging poetry. Such a neat idea, to become a poetry hub!

    Monica: I’ve never heard of “problogger.net.” So of course I dropped in to check it out and thought he had some interesting analysis–things I’d never think about. Like Robin pointed out in her comment, and as I hinted at in my response to her comment, I don’t want to obsess about this thing. The how-to blog experiment is just for fun–not to drive traffic and all that. I’m as interested in making “friends” and having little conversations like this as I am having another number pop up on the WordPress state counter. I do thank you for the link. I feel like I’m a techno-newbie in so many ways, even though I’ve been keeping a blog of some kind for years and years.

    Reply
  6. annkroeker says

    May 8, 2008 at 2:56 pm

    It’s curiosity more than numbers.

    Reply
  7. annkroeker says

    May 8, 2008 at 3:01 pm

    Stretch Mark Mama: Use numbers in titles, like, “6 Ways to Title a Post.” Got it.

    A Pioneer Woman spoof? Who would dare such a thing?

    Photo Tutorials featuring grainy photos along with instructions on how to “improve” them with cheap photo software that came free with my camera? A Belgian/European Romance Love Story?

    Reply
  8. Andrea says

    May 8, 2008 at 3:10 pm

    Ann,

    I love tips and I love tidbits about people’s family life. I guess that’s why my blog is a hodge-podge of all those things….it’s what I like to read in other people’s blogs!!

    (and I “bookmarked” this post!!)

    Reply
  9. L.L. Barkat says

    May 8, 2008 at 3:38 pm

    I will certainly stop by for tipping, but to tell the truth, I’m more drawn to telling. Stories. Truth. Beauty. In lovely words. Give me “Holy Experience” any day, or the essential Ann Kroeker, and I’m delighted.

    (But I can say this… my top posts are a “Lentil Soup recipe” on Green Inventions and a “Talk to Top Editors and Publishers” post on Seedlings! Tip and list posts can draw first timers; as to what keeps them coming back, I think that’s debatable.)

    Reply
  10. Alana says

    May 8, 2008 at 4:12 pm

    I think as long as you’re writing something you know – you’ll always be good to go.

    I sometimes catch myself wishing and then regretting the wish for more readers – what if I can’t produce quality posts each time?

    Reply
  11. Ann says

    May 8, 2008 at 5:19 pm

    Tips. I have none. Bankrupt, I am. I know little, nothing.

    All these pockets have are stories. And even those aren’t mine. It is He who stuffs them in unawares.

    I think you are right, Ann: readers want tips. Me, too. But maybe it’s just something to take away, too, a momento. Something to tuck in a pocket.

    And a story or two may just fit…

    (But again, I know nothing, no tracker as to how or why readers meander through… )

    Personally, I like Ann Kroeker and will come back to simply hear her voice.

    Reply
  12. Ann says

    May 8, 2008 at 5:20 pm

    (and I’m curious too… looking forward to your experiment!)

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. A Random Post about Six Random Things « Ann Kroeker says:
    May 15, 2008 at 5:31 pm

    […] A Random Post about Six Random Things Jump to Comments I’m so done with being helpful. […]

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