Note – Because of the lack of live links and threaded comments on Examiner I’ll be posting the daily exercises here, and weekly round-ups there. I apologize for the inconvenience. Thanks Jill for pointing out the link issue!
Day two – Since I went through 31 Days to Build a Better Blog (affiliate link) for the very first time, I have fallen in love with list posts. You’ll notice that I’ve added a weekly list post to my postings here at Examiner – A wrap up of interesting blogs or resources each week posted (hopefully) every Thursday.
Darren highlights three main types of list posts and cautions not to make them the ONLY type of post on your blog, but rather consider them a valuable resource to sprinkle in every so often.
Type one is the entire post as a list. This is just what it says – the list is the post with no extraneous information added in. I love the original example post that Darren lists in the book, 21 Ways to Write Posts that are Guaranteed to Grow Your Blog. http://www.problogger.net/archives/2009/01/21/21-ways-to-write-posts-that-are-guaranteed-to-grow-your-blog/
Type two is the extended lists post. A great example is my Suite101 article highlighting all the plant profiles I’ve written. There is a big list of other articles I’ve written, with a description on each entry of the list.
Type three is the list within a post. This post about Overcoming Obstacles is a great example of this technique with a list included in the blog post.
I think the thing I enjoy about list posts is that it’s a way to contain my easily scattered thoughts. I can package up the best kernels of what I’m thinking about and package them up more neatly for you. I also LOVE that lists are so versatile and can be adapted to almost any blog situation and any niche, topic or material.
So what is a blog challenge without a little homework right? Create a list post on one of your websites or blogs! Leave the link in the comments below of course.
Note – Feel free to leave your comments from Day One here as well since Day One’s Challenge – Creating an Elevator Pitch was published on Examiner already.
Hi Angela,
I see you took Darren up on his recent offer also! Very cool.
Here is a link to a list that I posted yesterday about the ten things I learned at a local tweetup that I attended on Saturday: http://bruceserven.com/ten-things-i-learned-at-mackitac-yesterday/
Now you’ve reminded me that I need to write up my actual post for 31DBBB-Day2 like this and share with my readers.
Thanks!
Great post – I did several round up posts after Blissdom Blog Conference and then did a big link post to session notes that OTHER bloggers had posted as well. Anyone who wasn’t able to attend could learn a lot from browsing what had been posted!
Here is my comment from yesterday…will get back to you on today’s assignment.
I fall under the category of having blogged for 7 years about everything. Right now my focus is on life as a new mom and homemaker. I write for myself and to encourage others in their own struggles. However, I blogged through college, planned my wedding, bought my first home, got married, got pregnant, had my child and had a miscarriage with my 2nd pregnancy. I want to make these resources available to people but obviously that takes away from the focus. I would love help coming up with something concise that ties it all together somehow! Looking forward to this challenge!
Goodness Andrea – that’s so like me. I started writing online as a way to keep in touch with friends from my two-year university when we all moved on to other schools. Through that time, my engagement and more.
Actually instead of changing the blog I just started new ones. I used to do the same thing with journals too – start a new one whenever I felt like it instead of writing about other topics in the same one. Lol!
I think it’s totally ok to change focus – in fact I was just talking to someone about moving over the content from a few of my old bligs and livejournal account and archiving them on Untrained Housewife. I think with the dates it will be obvious that it’s old – part of my growth process. I think if it could bless someone that would be ok to have a new focus and new purpose. After all – that’s how our lives work in the real world. 🙂
The list I’m going to do (tonight and bleeding into tomorrow, I think) is going to tell readers what’s coming up on the blog German Prisoners of War in Canada (germanpowcanada.com). It’s a fairly new project and not much content, so this will drum up some interest and force me to stick to getting it done.
I also think of it as a website more than a blog, but because the line between those is pretty blurry, I can call it either.
(Hope my HTML worked in this post. Apologies if it looks ugly!)
What a fascinating piece of history! I love that you’ve taken the time and energy to highlight some national heritage that might be lost otherwise. Very cool.
Because of Day 1 I redid my “about” page to more closely resemble my elevator pitch: http://familyrambling.com/index.php/about/
Day 2 is a bit ironic to me as I write a travel blog (my main site) and the conference I was just at completely focused on narrative travel writing- no lists, not tips, just the story. Myself I love a good list. Am working on a “thank you” list post for Omni Hotel. It’s not done yet, but it will be on the blog page of Family Rambling tomorrow (hopefully am).
Great about page! It looks fabulous. My About pages are inevitably big fat messes. It’s so much easier to “sum up” for someone else. *laughing*
I would think that list posts could be a great way to catch someone’s attention about a particular spot, and then lead them to more details. Top Ten Romantic Giveaways listing ten destinations, with links to more in-depth profiles of each? That type of thing.
Hi Jody,
Don’t know if you mean TBEX, but Kara Williams of TheVacationGals.com had a good post in a similar vein, making the point that service writing is also part of travel writing.
This is a great tip. I create list blogs all the time for Suite (though Suite’s glitchiness isn’t letting me post right now), but I tend to overlook them for my other blogs. Here’s my list post for my sketch blog: http://sketchadaychallenge.blogspot.com/2010/08/how-to-sketch-articles-from-across-web.html
Here is my assignment from yesterday (elevator pitch) for the Pet Health Care Gazette:
Short Version (short and sweet):
Keeping pets healthy and happy. From A to Z.
Long version:
Why is caring for pets so important?
• Pets enrich our lives. They are cherished members of our families. In a very real sense, they are like our children.
• Pets are loyal companions and friends, providing us with endless hours of comfort and joy. But they rely completely on us to provide for their needs.
• Our pets deserve to feel vibrant and energized from birth to old age.
• Our pets deserve to live long, healthy lives free of pain, discomfort, fear or disease, regardless of their age.
The Pet Health Care Gazette can help. We’ll empower you with the knowledge to keep your pet happy and healthy. We’re dedicated to improving the lives of pets and the people who love them!
I would love to hear what all of you think of the pitch. Does it make you want to visit the blog? (Assuming you’re a pet owner/lover.)
Here is the last list post I wrote: Dog Days of Summer Pet Food Drive Officially Underway
The post is a bit outdated now as the food drive ended a couple of days ago. But it will still give you an idea of the type of list posts I’ve done. I also frequently do lists within posts.
Hi Angela, I am a friend of Jody H. and she recommended I take a look at your 31 day challenge and usually anything she says I do because she’s just awesome and I have much respect for her. I am so please that I did too, because I love this list idea. I have started a new blog and it’s a great way to gear up for some much needed direction! Thanks!
Jody is indeed awesome! I can’t wait to see her this Fall at the I_Blog conference – will you be attending also? I love list posts and often turn a list post with bullet points into a full series on my blog by making each point from the list a seperate post. It’s a great way create hub posts that drive traffic to other areas of your blog once you’re more established. But starting out it is a fabulous way to come up with new topic ideas!
I saw this on suite when you first started it and then completely forgot about it.
I have a blog, actually the one linked to on this post, that i have had trouble figuring out the direction i wanted to go with it.
Even though your challenge is over and i cant afford the book yet, I am starting out with this challenge as its posted here and on examiner for that blog. lets see how this one goes!
THANK YOU!
Hey Angela, just getting started on this challenge. here is my Day One post. Eager to read other peoples tonight after work… Make it a great day!
Write an Elevator Pitch Day One of 31DBBB
Amie – That’s fantastic! I’m glad that you are just jumping right in with the challenge. I had tons of people who are taking it slow on some of the more challenging steps so there’s no reason not to just go for it! 🙂
Angela <
Hi Angela
I’m actually participating on this challenge on another site, but I thought it would be good to go back through some of the challenges with your group, as well. I am enjoying working through each of the daily tasks from the ebook and I even purchased the scorecard. Do you use the blog post scorecard when you write your posts?
My list post was “5 Powerful Principles for Work at Home Moms”. Here’s the link: http://thesavvywahm.com/2010/5powerfulprinciples/
Ang — first let me say how much I enjoy listening to you speak at conferences. Your experience and success seems to be closer to me…more attainable. I listen to other speakers who are superstars and feel helpless — like I will never be them. Don’t get me wrong you’re still a superstar to me and many others.
I need to grow my blog. I’m on the right path, but need to give it a push.
Hi Ang, I just stumbled upon your blog here and would love any constructive criticism you could offer to help define my niche a bit more, and ideas on perhaps shortening up my about page. You seem like such a sweet girl. Blessings to you! My blog is called Dance And Be Glad, and the quick description is “Moving toward joy, health, and healing in our homes”
Love your helpful and practical tips. Now I just need to find time to implement them!
I am so glad you are doing this Ang! I just read up on Day 1 and Day 2 so I have some things to do! lol. Thank you so much for sharing all of this! I will be following along!