How did AverageGal get so many comments in such a short period of time?

Well there are several reasons that I’d like to attribute this success to.  First of all, I have the best, most intelligent readers following me who are always leaving thought provoking, comments that add value to my blog!

Secondly, I try to follow my own advice about getting readers to comment on my blog.  You can read about this in my article: 4 Simple Steps to Entice Readers to Comment

Last, but certainly not least, you may have also noticed that a couple of weeks ago, I finally added the CommentLuv plugin on my site.  I do believe that this has also increased the number of commenters on my site, but I suppose that can’t be proven…

I’d like to throw out a special thank you to the person who left the 500th Comment: Ben from blogmastergeneral.com.  Thank you Ben!

Again - Thank you, dedicated readers; let me know what I can do to help you achieve your blogging goals!

First let me begin by saying that if you don’t know what RSS is then you can check out My Definition of RSS where I breifly explain the concept.  Building a strong foundation of readers is essential to any successful blog;  this should go without saying.  Despite how trival this point might seem, it’s amazing how many sites don’t actually ask for readers to join their RSS.  One of the best pieces of advice you can live by is, “You don’t get anything without asking.”  It’s mind boggling how many times you actually get what you want when you simply ask for it.  However many times you not only have to ask, but ask in the proper manner.  Enter the RSS join button and What Would Seth Godin Do plugin.

If you’ve ever gone to a site and had to search for the RSS button, then you can relate to this mistake.  I believe it’s very important to have you’re RSS join button prominently display on your site so potential subscribers can’t miss it.  Furthermore make it easy for them to subscribe and offer email sign up.  Another easy tip is to integrate the What Would Seth Godin Do plugin into your blog.  This plugin allows you to post a custom message at the beginning or end of your blog posts.  You can use it to promote anything, including signing up for your RSS feed!  What a great way to “ask” for a signup.

These are just a couple of tools that I use on my blogs to help drive RSS subscriptions.  If you have any other tips or techniques please share with others below in the comments section.  We’d love to hear them! I’d be pretty hypocritical if I didn’t ask you to join the AverageGal RSS Feed before finishing this post.  Have a great week.

I hope that everyone enjoys reading up on Twitter and had a wonderful weekend!

Tweet on, Tweeples!

• Make your blog go viral with Twitter ReTweets - by Marko at How to Make My Blog
• How to Twitterize your WordPress Blog - by Kevin Briody at Kevin Briody dot net
• Twitter Newbie?  How I got 1000 followers in Two Weeks! - by Terri Camp of Terri Camp dot com
• Twitter be Nimble Twitter be Quick, If you don’t know Jack, Try these Twitter Tricks - guest post on TwiTip by Dan Hollings
• My15 Twitter Tips - by Colin of TechandLife dot com
• Twitter: Why it’s so Great and How to Effectively Use it - by Tibi Puiu of LostArtOfBlogging dot com
• 5 Tips to Grow Your Twitter Presence - by Darren Rowse of ProBlogger dot net
• 26 Reasons Why I Love Twitter - Plus 27 More just in Case - by Shana Albert of SocialDesire dot com

Now, a few months ago I wrote an article titled Don’t Assume; You Know the Old Saying… This article offers a great explanation to what RSS Feed is to all of you that don’t know.  (And trust me, there are still a whole lot of people out there who don’t know; you’re not alone!)

Back to the subject at hand…

I use Google Feed Reader.  I picked it solely because it was Google, so I figured that it had to be one of the best.  The Google Feed Reader works well  for me on so many levels.

First off all, it counts the number of unread articles that I have in my “in box”.  I try to keep it under 100, but sometimes that’s a challenge.  Right now I have a bit of catching up to do, as I have 222 new articles!

Secondly, there’s a nifty little bar on the left-hand side that lists out all of the websites and the number of unread articles I have from each particular site.  This way I can easily and effortlessly choose and prioritize the order in which I want o check out my favorite bloggers.

In addition to breaking out articles by site, with the Google Feed Reader, I have the option of “starring” any and all articles that I feel may be of importance to me at a later date.  This way, when I’m searching for that one article that I really want to reference 3 months later, I don’t have to wade through piles and piles of articles.  It makes life much more efficient for me.  (Okay, well maybe not life in general, but it definitely makes blogging easier.)

Lastly, another cool option that Google Readers offers is the fact that the users can monitor trends both in their favorite bloggers and trends with themselves.  Google Reader graphs articles posted and articles read down to the exact hour.  How’s that for cool?  I like that feature because it also offers an unbiased accountability for myself.  Have I been reading too much of one blogger and not getting enough diversity in my subject matter?  Google Reader will tell me!

I also found this article and video fairly helpful, if you’re looking into Google Reader, or just simply comparing the Reader that you’re currently using…  Click here to check it out!

Since we’re talking about Feeds, and Feed Readers… do you subscribe to my feed?  If you find my articles interesting, comical, or down-right loony, then I’d be honored if you decide to sign up for The AverageGal Feed.  (Couldn’t help myself; it’s the perfect opportunity to self-promote!)

What Feed Reader do you currently use?  What do you like or dislike about it?  In all honesty, I really don’t know a whole lot about other readers, and I’d like to know a little more!  Thanks in advance for sharing!

It was just yesterday in my Blog Mistakes Monday article that I described how neglecting your blog can have negative effects on your site.  Here I am a day later questioning what “neglecting your blog” really means.  Typically I update my blogs everyday with fresh content and new ideas.  I do this for a couple of reasons.  The first reason is that I simply enjoy sharing my opinion and experiences with others, and the second reason is because I feel that it keeps readers coming back to the site frequently.  Often times I wonder if this is too often of an update.  Much like the Hare sprinting to the finish.

There are many popular and successful blogs that update much less often then daily, those are the Tortoise’s.  Slow and steady to win the race.  Some update weekly and some even monthly.  The content on these sites typically are very in depth and the articles do tend to be more lengthy, but it still amazes me how they can generate tremendous buzz.  Perhaps writing less frequently gives people more of an opportunity to read articles without falling behind and also allows more time for commenting.

Even as I finishing writing this article I’m torn between the pro’s and con’s of each blogging strategy.  I guess for me the tipping point is interaction with my readers.  I enjoy writing daily because it allows me to engage with people on a more frequent basis.

How about you, do you blog like a Tortise or a Hare?

Over the past couple of months I’ve experienced some tremendous growth throughout the blogosphere.  My new readership has grown very rapidly and there’s been a great group of people leaving insightful comments on the sites.  I don’t say this to “brag” or sound boastful, but more so to solidify a point.  The point being,  successful blogging takes consistent commitment and dedication to your site.  I’m living proof that doing that and neglecting a site, even for only a couple of days can slow your sites buzz down very quickly.

I’ve missed a couple of days worth of posts on a few of my blogs, including this one, and the comments and traffic fell quickly.  While I don’t think that missing a couple of days is going to dramaticly impact my blogs over the long haul, it’s still a point worth noting.  Neglecting a blog is like neglecting a plant, if you go long enough without “feeding it” with fresh content it will eventually wilt and shrivle up!

I’m curious, have you ever neglected your blog to the point of wilting?

If you’re looking for a blog that offers you a wide variety of interesting and fun topics from around the web then you should go and check out Taris’ site.  The unique content that’s posted on the blog always amazes me.  There’s a great mix of tips and techniques to help improve your blogging skills as well as personal opinion posts such as the one I just watched/read called “Holy Samurai Master Batman!!“.    You’ll never believe what this guy can do with a sword!  Go check out this post and fast forward to the 3:45 second mark in the YouTube video.  Pretty unreal if you ask me!

The Power Maxx Blog is a great combination of resourceful tips and fun.  Head on over and say Hi to Taris, I think you’ll enjoy reading and following his site.

The “Butterfly Award” is a virtual award titled ‘Coolest Blog I know’ and it’s passed from one blogger to another.

There are (as always) requirements for the recipients and presenters of this award.

The Rules

1. Put the logo on your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded it to you.
3. Link 10 other bloggers of whom you want to give this award to.

Now it’s my turn to bestow this award on 10 of my favorite blogs! I have so many favorites, but since this is my first blog award, I should to limit it to just 10 and stick to the rules…

1. Cash2Blog Mitch is the Blogger at this site. He blogs about how to make money online, economy related topics, and helpful blogger tips.  He’s a newbie blogger, like me, but very Internet savvy; I’ve found a friend in him!  Check out his tips to optimize your blogging experience.
2. SmallBizBee Matt is the blogger behind SmallBizBee.  He’s a very business-oriented blogger, and has the entrepreneurial spirit we all wish for.  Matt writes fresh, interesting content often; check him out!
3. Blogging With Success There are a few men behind the scenes at this blog.  I love that there is more than one voice at this blog; it adds a different dynamic.  As it’s name implies, the blog gives tips and advice about blogging successfully.
4. Fix The Pig I have to throw out a shout to my very talented (not to  mention interesting) husband over at Fix The Pig.  We may not always agree on everything, but boy is he informed on EVERYTHING economy related!  Check Justin’s blog out today!
5. Steven-Sanders LOVE Steven’s site, tips and attitude toward blogging.  He’s been extremely helpful in my journey to become a blogger.  I appreciate his daily posts to fine-tune my blogging skills; he’s a very knowledgeable resource!
6. Quick Dinner Recipes The blog name says it all. Evan provides all of us busy bloggers with quick and easy recipes to save us from the misery of fast-food dining.  Thanks Evan!
7. Insight Writer The tag line here is, ” Freshly Squeezed Insight for Better Living” and this site truly delivers just that!  Jeremy writes thought provoking content often and has created quite a following of dedicated readers.
8. Kyle Reddoch Kyle has a great blog about Web Developing. He blogs about the web design, and all things related to this complex world.  I really enjoy his writing style and have come away with some great ideas from Kyle.
9. Freedom Writing Kimberly is a freelance writer and blogger.  She blogs about SEO, freelance writing, and all of her experiences in between.  Check out Kimberly if you get the opportunity!
10. DemoGeek “DemoGeek” writes great content with step-by-step instructions on web related issues.  I’ve found all of the information that he writes about to be a great help, since I’m pretty computer illiterate!

I have so many other favorite blogs as well that have already been chosen as “the coolest blog I know”, so I wanted to spread the love around.

Thank you so much Dee, for honoring me and my blog with the “Butterfly Award”.

After recently writing a post on 5 easy Blog SEO Tips, I had some great comments and had a couple of questions that inspired this post.  The main question was how I choose keywords and with what tools.  The answer might sound simple, but it’s effective.  I use a free tool provided by Google.  You can access the tool here.  It’s really easy to use and provides a wealth of keyword research.  Simply enter a keyword or phrase and hit search; you’ll get a list of last months search volume, average search volume, and other similar keyword phrases.

I typically shy away from the most popular search phrases on the list because I feel those are the most challenging to rank highly for.  Instead I like to look for more obscure phrases that have less competition. I’m no SEO expert, but I do know that less competition is a good thing.

Another tool that I’ve been reading a lot about lately is Shoe Money Tools.  I’ve yet to sign up for the tools, however everything I’ve read has been positive.  If you haven’t taken a look at the package being offered over at ShoeMoney, it might be worth reviewing.  I have a coupon code for 80% off the first month of service, just use “averagegal”.  If you’ve used these tools I’d love to hear your feedback!  Please share with the rest of us.

I hope you find the Google tool useful.  It’s not a golden ticket to getting top page placement on the search pages, but it will give you a good start.  If you use any other good tools, or have tips, please let us know!  We’d love to hear them.

2008 was a pretty big year for me.  I quit my nice, secure corporate job and dove head-first into the “online” community by starting 3 new blogs, AverageGal, FullGlassLiving, and DivineSteals. 

It’s truly been a ride.  I’ve really enjoyed all of the ups and downs blogging can have.  Mostly it’s been ups though; I’ve really gotten involved with social networking.  (Which is something that I never really understood before.)

I’m not that old, but the way technology and social media changes by leaps and bounds, there was no way to keep up with it all when I was working a full time job.  I felt like I was totally out of the media loop!  Needless to say, personally, I feel that I’ve grown tremendously in my technological knowledge and abilities over the last year.

Setting goals for 2009… hum.  Well to start with,  I’d like to build a larger readership on all three of my blogs.  Truthfully, I haven’t looked at the number of my RSS subscribers for a couple of months, but at last count I think AverageGal had 53.  To me, the number isn’t as important as having my voice heard and building a dedicated readership.

Secondly, I need to post more frequently at DivineSteals.  This was the first blog that I started and I’ve been very much neglecting it since FullGlassLiving and AverageGal started up.  The site that has the potential to make instant money should probably be one of my top priorities, since I am a work-at-home mom, the extra income would be nice.

Thirdly, in 2009 I would like to attend at least 1 blogging conference.  Since I am still so new to the blogging world, I feel that this would be extremely beneficial to my newly found career.  I need to be planning ahead and budgeting to attend one.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!  I’d ideally like to attend in New York or Florida, but I’m open to any and all suggestions!

So there you have it.  It’s not to late to set goals and/or reflect on the past year.  In fact, I feel that goals should be an ever-evolving process throughout the year.  If you can’t adjust for changes, then you’ll be dead in the water.  Learn to adapt and you too will have a successful 2009!

What are some of the goals that you’ve set for 2009?  Do you think that I should add/revise any to any of my goals?  I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts!