We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: blogging is a continual learning process. Even the most successful and popular blogs have to revamp their designs, plug-ins and content development to suit changing tastes and trends in the blogosphere.

For many bloggers, the amount of room they give their visitors, in terms of how they control the experience of the blog, presents a particular challenge. Certainly there are optimal ways to read certain types of content but it is recommended that bloggers take a more liberal stance on how their work is accessed.

Here are several common sense methods, and their rationale, that will help bloggers yield more control to their readership:

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One of the most glaring things that comes up in the analytics for my blog (not this one) is its incredibly high bounce rate, which usually hovers between 65 – 75%. By professional web standards, this is not something to brag about. For those not in the know, your bounce rate is the statistic that tells you how many people are leaving your site from the page they land on.

Typically, a good website provides its intended visitors what they need or want. A low bounce rate, something under 50% for example, indicates that your website is doing what it’s supposed to be doing: inspiring the majority of your visitors to stick around and see what other useful information they can find.

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The Guardian UK published a comprehensive list of the world’s 50 most powerful blogs about a month ago, websites that have excelled at carving their niche, establishing their authority on their subject matter and continually offering their readers consistent and unique content.

These blogs are more than just popular, they are incredibly influential multiple social arenas, shifting political attitudes, exposing scandals, revealing exciting new technologies or just showing strange and funny pictures. All of these examples are demonstrations of effective branding and remarkable content development. They have each earned substantial followings.

We are also thrilled to see our personal favorite copyblogger.com get mention. We do have a guest post there after all!

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In a blogosphere dependant on linking and social bookmarking, it’s all too easy to rely on other people’s information when developing content for your blog. To standout in a crowded playing field, you have to put more of yourself into your writing rather than just being a source for links and resources.

The following is a list that differentiates ideas from information, tips that will help you distinguish your blog by encouraging you to formulate and express your own ideas and opinions. It could mean the difference between a successful blog that connects with its readership and a blog that gets lost in a tide of endless information. Make the distinction.

Are you just linking and describing other articles or are you adding to its impact through elaboration? Here are some tips on getting your own ideas out there:

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At Apollo Media, we strive to bring you the best advice on building your blog, optimizing your content and connecting with your audience and fellow bloggers. While we are confident that our work is beneficial to both seasoned and beginning bloggers, we owe a lot to our mentors online, namely the outstanding blogs featured here.

So to give credit where credit is due, in no particular order, we thought we would come up with a list of some of our favorite sources for blogging tips, SEO advice and writing skills:

Copyblogger – Copywriting Blog

The brainchild of Brian Clark, CopyBlogger is a prime source for tips on effective writing skills for marketing, advertising and blogging. Centered on content development, branding and maximizing creativity, CopyBlogger’s diverse collection of articles is always great food for thought that inspires critical thinking about your own work.
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Daily Blog Tips had an interesting article last month about improving your readers’ experience on your blog. When the discussion centered on responding to comments, there was a brief mention of rewarding your readers with incentives for their words.

One of the key ways of doing so is to create a ‘Top Comments’ or ‘Top Commentators’ list that shows displays the names (and back links) of those who participate the most on your blog. There are several plug-ins available for Wordpress that allow you to create such a list. One of them is Show Top Commentators and is available for free download.

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Starting and maintaining your blog takes a great deal of self-discipline, honesty and perseverance. Why? Because developing strong content and earning a dedicated readership can be a long and turbulent process. At Apollo Media we recognize the common frustrations and difficulties involved in keeping focused and getting the most out of your blogging time.

The following is a short list of missteps and false starts that frequently occur in the blogosphere. Learning from these mistakes can help you keep your composure online and refine your writing, editing and designing techniques. Here are some common pitfalls bloggers often find themselves in:

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Writing
Posting
Reaching Out

Connecting
Directing
Killing Doubt

I’ll Brainstorm
To Inform
To Great Amounts

So Link Me
It’s All Free
I’m Building Clout

At Apollo Media’s Blog, we often post articles detailing blog building strategies that improve your blog gradually over time, stressing patience and perseverance as your content and readership expand. There are, however, several tactics that can be employed immediately and on a daily basis to improve your blog.

While the long term strategies are equally useful and important, you should also consider these blog habits if you want to truly make your blog effective: Read the rest of this entry »

Some people find writing within the same boundaries and conventions can be a chore, severely limiting creativity. When you find that your blog’s content is lagging in variety, you might want to consider shifting gears a bit.

Take a look at some of these post types for ideas in how you can approach your content differently so you can rejuvenate your writing:

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