I don’t ask much, but for the love of all that is coated in caramel:
Can those of you with blogs please do me a solid and follow these 6 tips to make it easier for me to share your work:
1. Put your blog name and your name at the top of your blog.
This may sound obvious. I have confirmed it is not.
Your blog name should be the quickest thing to suss out – make it easy to read (I beg of you to not use crazy illegible, pulsating fonts) and distinguishable from your tag line.
If you are not anonymous, it would be nice to know your name, too, without having to break a sweat. Nice to meet you! May I please tell the world how awesome you are now?
2. Put your social media links somewhere easy to find.
Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. all up high. At least keep them above the fold.
What’s “Above the fold,” you ask? Imagine a newspaper: If you’re picking it up off the news stand, it is likely folded in half horizontally, with the headlines and most important information up high above that fold. Get it? I figured you would.
Whether you use those fancy graphic buttons or a text link that says “Social Media” or plop them on your Contact Me page, doesn’t matter. Just make it happen.
3. Make it easy for me to email you.
It could be nice little ‘ole me trying to say Hello, a blogger you respect who’d like to invite you to join his/her helpful community, or someone legitimately trying to hire you to write for them (or whatever it is you do professionally)…please don’t make your email address a secret from us.
Fear spam? Create a free just-for-your-blog Gmail address and use it solely for this purpose. Done.
4. Somewhere in your header, sidebar, or footer put a graphic up (like a blog button) with your blog name (and logo, if you have one) on it.
It helps if it is squarish. You can make one with any of the photo editing tools on your computer, or on free sites like PicMonkey.com. It can be just am image, or button. Doesn’t matter.
Doing this makes it easier for those of us on Pinterest to pin your blog posts and make sure people know who it is by, even if the post itself has no images in it. Shazam! You’ve been pinned!
5. Put your best foot forward in your fanciest shoe while wearing a charming smile.
Call it your “Favorites” or “Popular Posts” or “Best of” page or get clever with the title, as long as it is obvious what’s there. Put your best/most popular stuff there and make sure anyone who ever finds your blog can easily see it right away, read it, and share it. BOOM. Superstar!
6. Put a few “Sharing” buttons on every blog post.
Once people get to the bottom of a blog post of yours that they love, make it easy for them to click a button to share it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, tumblr, Reddit, StumbleUpon, etc. Keep it simple, keep it clean, and your good stuff will get shared.
Thank you!
I can’t wait to share the shizzle out of you…
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Seriously! I have to contact bloggers once in a while for articles and it’s amazing how many don’t have clear contact info. And if there are no sharing buttons on the post, it’s likely not getting shared unless it’s like THE BEST POST EVER.
Yup – exactly. I yell at my screen “OMG PLEASE LET ME SHARE YOU!” more than I should admit.
Totally agree with Leigh Ann, there’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to contact a blogger when you actually want to feature them in something. Great post Kim!
OMG. I could write a novel on this topic. We had over 300 sites and looked at thousands more plus 1200 some posts. Cray cray how hard it is to get ahold of some really outstanding bloggers.
I know! I remember looking at one woman’s blog – who I know is a professional writer – and there was no email address. None. Wha??
Check, check, check, check, check and check. Now make me famous. 😉
Jenn said it–work your magic!! 😉
LOL! I’ll get right on it.
Thank you! It’s always intimidating to get started, and the last thing I want to do is pester a big-wig with ‘how should I do this’ questions, so when posts like this are put out there it is a HUGE help!!
You don’t know til you know, right? I’m happy to help!
Thank you for this great post! All these steps are so useful and informative.
I just had a question about step 5. I have my three most popular posts in my sidebar and not in an own page. Could you come and take a look at my blog too see if it looks ok or if I sould made a page dedicated to it?
Your blog is so pretty & organized – nice job! If you don’t want to add them to their own dedicated page, at least you have an About Me that, when someone shares it, will show your popular posts next to it.
Something to ponder: some of your best work may be on other websites, so they won’t show in a widget like that sidebar one you’re using. Once that happens, you may want to add a dedicated page.
Sharing the shizz out of this. 😉 Ellen
Atta girl!
Great tips, but I fail on a couple. Because I’m not self-hosted, I don’t think I can have a “button” on my blog. But I do have social media links, links to my books and contact information. NOW MAKE ME FAMOUS, PEOPLE! VALIDATE ME! 😉
But in all seriousness, you would be surprised how many stores/businesses neglect to include any contact or location information on their websites. I see this all the time at work, and if it takes me more than a minute to find it, I move on…
When I say “button,” I mean either an actual “Grab My Button” coded image OR just a plain old image.
On WordPress, you can just use the “Image” widget to add one to either of your sidebars.
You have your books in your sidebar, so when someone (like me…all the time) pins something you write, they (I) can just choose animage of your books as the Pinnable Image – they have your blog name in them.
Then I’m good to go! Well, still naive and a peon, but at least I have a legit button thing 😉
Yes – you’re better off than you realized. I mean…you planned it all perfectly. *cough*
*rather guiltily goes to add a ‘contact me’ page to her blog*
Haha, I never really thought of any of this stuff-I think I just assume the only people who are reading my blog are my friends and they know me anyway! Thanks for the advice =)
I have more tips to come, but I had to start with these basics. I once had a widget on my blog that I didn’t know was all wonky and put a HUGE white box on my posts that blocked everything I wrote. Luckily, someone emailed me to tell me what was going on – I had wondered why my stats were down!
And, funny enough, not a couple months later I came across someone else’s blog who was having the same issue. So I emailed her, and she was just as grateful as I was when someone told me.
You never know why someone would want to reach out to you!
Well I now have a ‘Get In Touch’ page so hopefully that will help!
As for the rest, I’m certainly considering them, and look forward to hearing more tips from you!
Great post! I’m going to work on creating a button. I love the idea of having a “Best of” list too! Thanks.
An actual live button is awesome, but even just a graphic/image/photo/Logo picture on there is perfect. Make sure people can easily see who you are. Good luck!
Thanks. I think I fail at most of these. 🙁 Someone just emailed me and said, “Where are your social media share buttons??” and I tried to set it up but didn’t do it well. After a decade of using Blogger, I am struggling to get the hang of WordPress. *sigh*
You have the Facebook & Twitter right up top which is great! And when I try to Pin your blog, the best image to grab is your headshot. Even if you just added your blog name to that image, it would be more identifiable.
New blogging platforms take time to get used to – you’ll get the hang of it soon, I’m sure!
Yes! Yes! Yes! *bangs fists on table; tosses hair around* Such simple things to do. So many don’t do them. Off to tip this on Sverve now. {Are you there, Kim? Another great place to share content!}
I’m glad it was such a pleasure for you to read.
I’ll check out Sverve!
Can we also add that if you use CAPTCHA for comments we will cry at our computers?! Seriously, though, this post rocks! Especially the part about the sharing buttons. PLEASE people PLEASE!!-The Dose Girls
CAPTCHA makes my soul die a little each time I have to use it. I understand how some bloggers find it is the best resource for them against Spam (particularly for Blogger blogs), but…ouch. I have bad eyesight so it’s always a crapshoot for me!
Those are the DOSE girls I was telling you about Kim!! If you haven’t already stopped by their place… oh how you will LOVE them!! 🙂 Remember…. LOYAL, KIND and Hilarious!!!
I know the Dosies, I know!
I think other than my name posted somewhere, I got these covered (I think. You’d tell me, right?)
But I know TONS that have maybe one or two of these. Maybe. Great info and valuable for that blogger just starting out and “that” blogger who is scratching their head on Why isn’t my blog getting any traffic/shares/post views???
Exactly! I heard so many bloggers lamenting about how no one reads them or shares them, and I don’t think they realize how difficult they are making it for others to do so. Spread the word, sister!
Oh – and you’re looking good over there. I think you’ve got it pretty well covered!
I think I have all of those things… I definitely need a total revamp of my blog but hoping YOU can find me!!! 🙂
Oh I know where you are, Chris. I know EXACTLY where you are… 😉
Kim, I’ve partied with you at SpikedPunch, and I subscribe to your blog (which I love, by the way) and your caring spirit comes right through the computer…even before these posts you’ve written to help us little guys. Huge and many thank yous go to you, you’re awesome in many ways Kim. -Adrienn from This Uncomplicated Journey
Oh, thank you Adrienn. I appreciate the fact that I am essentially bossing you all around to make it easier for me to do what *I* want and yet you seem to think I’m being nice.
It IS nice of you to give us an outside perspective. I want my blog to be easy for people to navigate, remember who I am and be able to connect with me if they want to. I found this post very helpful, and after reading it I changed my blog’s header, so yes…I think you’re nice…even if you are being bossy 🙂
🙂
Looks great!
Thank you for the tips. I am now going to go review my website like and a chick with OCD on speed and make sure I have covered all my bases. 😀
Good girl! Hop to it!
This is super helpful and easy. Amen to the hard to read, pulsating font. Sheesh.
I’m just glad no one uses music anymore. Good GOD that was the WORST.
I’d like to add, unless it’s been proven to get way better results, cut the “link in first comment” crap out. I just offended 500 people, but it’s just another step we’re making readers go through to get to us. If the content is good, they will come.
I hear you. I just can’t do it. Unfortunately, Facebook doesn’t show as many fans posts with links in them as they do text posts. So annoying.
Kim thanks for sharing your knowledge. I love your idea of having your best posts available on the sidebar. I’m gonna fix me a side of that!
It’s a simply another way to let new visitors decide whether or not they love you.
Thank you for the “to do list.” I never thought of these things (obviously) and will be off tinkering with the blog this week. 🙂
Have fun & good luck!
Great advice!
Thanks, Elaine!
Good points! I need to add a blog button! But I am happy to say the rest of it is done!
Yes, you should! When I try to pin your blog, the best option is your banner but it’d be great to have your name on the logo.
Kim – as always you are awesome!!!! I need to add a button asap. Where should I put this lovely creature?
Sidebar or footer is perfect!
I don’t even have a blog (or do I?) and I did all the things! (Except the fav posts, because I don’t have a blog or do I?) Thank you, Kim! xoxo
Yours is fantastic – I’ve always thought it was really well done!
Great advice! I’m currently in the process of making some of these changes to my blog.
Thanks! I’m glad I could help.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I know Val already said this, but in putting together BBB there were times when I literally wanted to pull my hair out because I couldn’t find a way to connect to the blogger, and don’t get me started on how many amazing bloggers have contact pages but never say what their name is!!! Bless you! 🙂
OK guilty as charged. Looks like I have some work to do on my site. Thanks for pulling my head out of my ass!
Thanks, Kim. All great suggestions!
Read and now I am committing to memory:)
This is a great list! I am new to blogging and using my journalism background and transferring it to the web. I love short little tutorials like this that help me just double check that I’m doing this whole thing right!
Was holding my breath, b/c I was sure I was going to tank when I saw the title of this post, but after reading, I’m feeling like the situation might not be toooo bad 😉 Thanks for the great tips and for being so savvy, Kim!
Guilty! I feel weird about picking “best of” posts because that’s so subjective. My blog has a pretty wide focus, so that’s an issue, too. Is it “Best of Adoption” posts? Best of Large Family Living? Best of product reviews, best of homeschooling, best of special needs… you understand. I’ll have to mull this over a bit.
awesome tips and so easy to share!!