Common Blogging Mistakes

Ann Omness · 2005-04-29, 01:03 PM

I've been doing blog reviews for a couple of years now, and I see a lot of the same mistakes over and over. I thought I'd start pointing them out in a thread and see if anyone has good reason for some of these practices.

Blogging Mistake #1: No real text content

A lot of adult webmasters are submitting blogs that they don't write in. I'd classify them as private TGPs or picposts or linklists done with blogging software instead of something easier to use. And I've seen some that DO have a little text, ad copy for the sponsors they promote, but it looks like they just cut and pasted the text the sponsor provided. Do they think people who read blogs are looking for something that's nothing but commercials?

I don't understand what benefit these people think they'll get from a blog without writing. I started blogging because I wanted the search engine traffic. But search engines index text. If you don't write, you don't get found.

I've been assuming that people create sites like these because they cluelessly think that if they call it a blog, traffic will magically appear. Does anybody have a better explanation?

gqgreg · 2005-05-01, 03:34 PM

I know what you mean. There are MANY blogs out like that. I try to mix it up. I make them read, then read, and then some porn galleries and links. Or when i am writing about a particular topic, then use links to direct certain keywords. If that makes any sense. I feel your pain though Ann.

neveremail · 2005-05-01, 03:41 PM

I'm not a blogger but Ive read a little bit about it but I think the point is that even if the blog is sponsor orientated it will feed SEs and bring traffic that way.

It was on a tutorial at webmasterlinkup.com where i read about it. Didnt fully understand it but maybe you could have a read. Let us know what you think.

JenC · 2005-05-02, 01:06 AM

I agree that the blog should have more text than pics for sure. However if you do it right, your text doesn't have to be an advert. You can play up the site or sound like a fellow surfer if you don't just sound like you're selling something.

Ann Omness · 2005-05-03, 01:23 PM

My point, neveremail, is that blogs that you don't write in DON'T feed the search engines. Search engines index text.

Ann Omness · 2005-05-03, 01:33 PM

Blogging mistake #2: Bad color contrast

There's a political news/commentary blog that I visit often because his headlines look interesting. I'm always disappointed when I get there because I can't read what he's written. I'm one of the 15% of people who are partly colorblind and his color scheme is red on black. I can't read dark on dark. I can't read light on light. Most of you can probably read those blogs because the colors are different, but they're losing 15% of their potential readership who rely on contrast rather than color.

JenC · 2005-05-03, 02:01 PM

I thought only men could be colorblind?

ronnie · 2005-05-03, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JenC

I thought only men could be colorblind?

Men are colorblind?! hehehe

I've seen many blogs that are like others have said, nothing but glorified tgps that they call a blog. Some of these same sites brag about all the traffic they get to their "blog". I would think if your blog was really just a tgp, it's not surprizing you have lot of traffic, people looking for free porn. So all the traffic is is probably just freeloader tgp traffic, not worth much. So whats the point? Maybe I am wrong, just my two cents.

As said many times before, seems so many miss the big picture.

ronnie

JenC · 2005-05-05, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronnie

I would think if your blog was really just a tgp, it's not surprizing you have lot of traffic, people looking for free porn. So all the traffic is is probably just freeloader tgp traffic, not worth much.

Tell that to The Hun.

ronnie · 2005-05-05, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JenC

Tell that to The Hun.

Thats true. Maybe I should say not as high quality? Just saying, I thing blogs these days can vary greatly in traffic quality. Just because a blog is getting a ton of traffic, does'nt mean it's making alot of money. Course I am for sure not a blog expert, far from it. So maybe I'm just babbling..

Or curious, these "tgp" type blogs, maybe it is better than regular tgp traffic.

ronnie

JenC · 2005-05-05, 04:25 PM

My thoughts are this.......yeah blogging wasn't really initally meant to be another "tgp" but who's to say what the rules are? Out of the box thinking is what makes money.

ronnie · 2005-05-05, 06:18 PM

Very true...

ronnie

Mishi · 2005-05-07, 05:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JenC

My thoughts are this.......yeah blogging wasn't really initally meant to be another "tgp" but who's to say what the rules are? Out of the box thinking is what makes money.

Seems to me that turning blogs into pseudo-TGPs would be IN the box thinking.

I've been reading more blogs lately, and I think I'm getting better at spotting when someone's doing it "right". I'm certainly not there yet...

Boogie · 2005-05-07, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JenC

My thoughts are this.......yeah blogging wasn't really initally meant to be another "tgp" but who's to say what the rules are? Out of the box thinking is what makes money.

I definately encourage out of the box thinking.

But, I do agree that the "TGP BLOG" is basically almost already overdone.

The problem here is that its difficult to set your blog aside from the mass of porn blogs out there when you do this. That was the same problem with building a TGP

You dont want your blog to be another blip on the radar. You want an interesting style, layout, writing method, update method, etc, etc....

In these days of blogging its a chance to become a big name a-list blogger if you're doing it right. Making another cookie cutter site isnt going to gain you that.

Think outside the box, but making the 5000th TGP one isnt going to do it.

Not a bad way to build traffic though and if you limit yourself on your updates it might be a way to turn TGP traffic into some good traffic

Ann Omness · 2005-05-09, 12:26 PM

One of the advantages to blogging is that you're running in a different traffic circle. Most of the good blog lists won't list a TGP blog because their visitors are looking for interesting reading, so I'm not sure there's any advantage to doing those.

Ann Omness · 2005-05-09, 12:34 PM

Blogging Mistake #3: It's a Wordpress thing

The default theme for a Wordpress blog uses a font in the side bar that a lot of Windows users don't have. Windows substitutes something else, which renders too small to read. Since I became aware of the problem, I started looking at the bottom of the blogs I see where I can't read the links in the side bars. Nearly all of them turn out to be Wordpress blogs. Wordpress is becoming more popular, and more annoying because of this. I guess the simplest solution is to use one of the other themes it supplies in place of the default.

Ann Omness · 2005-05-14, 11:16 AM

Blogging Mistake #4: Now way to contact the author

Sometimes I see a blog I'd like to trade links with, or buy advertising on, but I can't find a way to contact the author. Weird. And some of you use contact forms to fill out instead of just giving an email address. Do those work? I filled out Boogie's contact form a couple of weeks ago asking about a trade and never got a response. Don't know if that's a refusal, or if his form doesn't work...

docholly · 2005-05-14, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mishi

I've been reading more blogs lately, and I think I'm getting better at spotting when someone's doing it "right". I'm certainly not there yet...

It's on my quad-weekly read list (blogs i look at - at least 2 times per week) |cool|

Mishi · 2005-05-15, 04:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by docholly

It's on my quad-weekly read list (blogs i look at - at least 2 times per week) |cool|

Thanks, that does mean a lot to me. Guess I'd better get busy...

Ann Omness · 2005-05-23, 03:44 PM

Common Blogging Mistake #5: Music on an adult blog

I've seen quite a few blogs where, just to be really cool, the webmaster has it play music for the visitors. Sometimes it comes on so loud that I almost have a heart attack because I wasn't expecting it. Considering that a lot of your readers are surfing from work, it's a good way to make sure that they never come back. The last thing they need is a loud rendition of "I Want Your Sex" booming out from the speakers in their office cubicle when they're supposed to be working.

RedShoe · 2005-05-23, 11:41 PM

My mistake is.. I get bored with my own blog. When replying to a post on a BBS, I feel like I can write for hours. When I'm forced to write my own blog I feel like I have writters block.

I feel like I can't think of anything clever or interesting to say. And that results in long rambling entries, or short and pointless ones. So then I just add a pic or two and it starts looking like a pic post. Then I get bombarded with trackback spams, and I get sick of dealing with those. I never make any sales with it. And it all seems like more of a hassle than any other $$ making vehicle so far.

I can make sales in my sleep with free sites and TGP's and I work very little. With this blog it feels like I'm fucking with it constantly, and not making even a single sale. What gives?

Does my blog really suck that bad?
http://PornEditor.com <-- The blog that nearly sucked all the life out of me.

Boogie · 2005-05-24, 01:37 AM

Hey Redshoe,
I'd look at some of the really big adult blogs (fleshbot is a great example) and compare them to yours.

I've always liked your blog but its hard work creating a constant update stream people enjoy, ya know?

It should also be a launchpad to your other adult projects. Any link lists or TGP or free sites.

Use it to add extra traffic to the galleries you build.

"Today I built XXXX".
"today I submitted to XXXX"
"Today we shot this girl, her content is on this paysite"

hit me up on icq if you want to talk about this a bit more mate.

I think you could make it work and have it not be that much effort in the long run.

2005-05-03, 01:33 PM	#6
Ann Omness If something goes wrong at the plant, blame the guy who can't speak English Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Michigan Posts: 308	Blogging mistake #2: Bad color contrast There's a political news/commentary blog that I visit often because his headlines look interesting. I'm always disappointed when I get there because I can't read what he's written. I'm one of the 15% of people who are partly colorblind and his color scheme is red on black. I can't read dark on dark. I can't read light on light. Most of you can probably read those blogs because the colors are different, but they're losing 15% of their potential readership who rely on contrast rather than color. __________________ Blue Wave Adult Links www.bluewavelinks.com/

2005-05-03, 02:01 PM	#7
JenC Stupid risks make life worth living Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Eastern Seaboard Posts: 387	I thought only men could be colorblind? __________________ THIS IS MY SIG - CLICK IT.

2005-05-05, 04:25 PM	#11
JenC Stupid risks make life worth living Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Eastern Seaboard Posts: 387	My thoughts are this.......yeah blogging wasn't really initally meant to be another "tgp" but who's to say what the rules are? Out of the box thinking is what makes money. __________________ THIS IS MY SIG - CLICK IT.

2005-05-09, 12:26 PM	#15
Ann Omness If something goes wrong at the plant, blame the guy who can't speak English Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Michigan Posts: 308	One of the advantages to blogging is that you're running in a different traffic circle. Most of the good blog lists won't list a TGP blog because their visitors are looking for interesting reading, so I'm not sure there's any advantage to doing those. __________________ Blue Wave Adult Links www.bluewavelinks.com/

2005-05-09, 12:34 PM	#16
Ann Omness If something goes wrong at the plant, blame the guy who can't speak English Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Michigan Posts: 308	Blogging Mistake #3: It's a Wordpress thing The default theme for a Wordpress blog uses a font in the side bar that a lot of Windows users don't have. Windows substitutes something else, which renders too small to read. Since I became aware of the problem, I started looking at the bottom of the blogs I see where I can't read the links in the side bars. Nearly all of them turn out to be Wordpress blogs. Wordpress is becoming more popular, and more annoying because of this. I guess the simplest solution is to use one of the other themes it supplies in place of the default. __________________ Blue Wave Adult Links www.bluewavelinks.com/

2005-04-29, 01:03 PM	#1
Ann Omness If something goes wrong at the plant, blame the guy who can't speak English Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Michigan Posts: 308	Common Blogging Mistakes I've been doing blog reviews for a couple of years now, and I see a lot of the same mistakes over and over. I thought I'd start pointing them out in a thread and see if anyone has good reason for some of these practices. Blogging Mistake #1: No real text content A lot of adult webmasters are submitting blogs that they don't write in. I'd classify them as private TGPs or picposts or linklists done with blogging software instead of something easier to use. And I've seen some that DO have a little text, ad copy for the sponsors they promote, but it looks like they just cut and pasted the text the sponsor provided. Do they think people who read blogs are looking for something that's nothing but commercials? I don't understand what benefit these people think they'll get from a blog without writing. I started blogging because I wanted the search engine traffic. But search engines index text. If you don't write, you don't get found. I've been assuming that people create sites like these because they cluelessly think that if they call it a blog, traffic will magically appear. Does anybody have a better explanation? __________________ Blue Wave Adult Links www.bluewavelinks.com/

2005-05-01, 03:34 PM	#2
gqgreg A woman is like beer. They look good, they smell good, and you'd step over your own mother just to get one! Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 50	I know what you mean. There are MANY blogs out like that. I try to mix it up. I make them read, then read, and then some porn galleries and links. Or when i am writing about a particular topic, then use links to direct certain keywords. If that makes any sense. I feel your pain though Ann.

2005-05-01, 03:41 PM	#3
neveremail Oh no, I'm sweating like Roger Ebert Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 504	I'm not a blogger but Ive read a little bit about it but I think the point is that even if the blog is sponsor orientated it will feed SEs and bring traffic that way. It was on a tutorial at webmasterlinkup.com where i read about it. Didnt fully understand it but maybe you could have a read. Let us know what you think. __________________ Please Re-Read The Rules For Sig Files

2005-05-02, 01:06 AM	#4
JenC Stupid risks make life worth living Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Eastern Seaboard Posts: 387	I agree that the blog should have more text than pics for sure. However if you do it right, your text doesn't have to be an advert. You can play up the site or sound like a fellow surfer if you don't just sound like you're selling something. __________________ THIS IS MY SIG - CLICK IT.

2005-05-03, 01:23 PM	#5
Ann Omness If something goes wrong at the plant, blame the guy who can't speak English Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Michigan Posts: 308	My point, neveremail, is that blogs that you don't write in DON'T feed the search engines. Search engines index text. __________________ Blue Wave Adult Links www.bluewavelinks.com/

2005-05-05, 06:18 PM	#12
ronnie Wheither you think you can or you think you can't, Your right. Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: midwest Posts: 2,274	Very true... ronnie

2005-05-14, 11:16 AM	#17
Ann Omness If something goes wrong at the plant, blame the guy who can't speak English Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Michigan Posts: 308	Blogging Mistake #4: Now way to contact the author Sometimes I see a blog I'd like to trade links with, or buy advertising on, but I can't find a way to contact the author. Weird. And some of you use contact forms to fill out instead of just giving an email address. Do those work? I filled out Boogie's contact form a couple of weeks ago asking about a trade and never got a response. Don't know if that's a refusal, or if his form doesn't work... __________________ Blue Wave Adult Links www.bluewavelinks.com/

2005-05-23, 03:44 PM	#20
Ann Omness If something goes wrong at the plant, blame the guy who can't speak English Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Michigan Posts: 308	Common Blogging Mistake #5: Music on an adult blog I've seen quite a few blogs where, just to be really cool, the webmaster has it play music for the visitors. Sometimes it comes on so loud that I almost have a heart attack because I wasn't expecting it. Considering that a lot of your readers are surfing from work, it's a good way to make sure that they never come back. The last thing they need is a loud rendition of "I Want Your Sex" booming out from the speakers in their office cubicle when they're supposed to be working. __________________ Blue Wave Adult Links www.bluewavelinks.com/

2005-05-23, 11:41 PM	#21
RedShoe A woman is like beer. They look good, they smell good, and you'd step over your own mother just to get one! Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 51	My mistake is.. I get bored with my own blog. When replying to a post on a BBS, I feel like I can write for hours. When I'm forced to write my own blog I feel like I have writters block. I feel like I can't think of anything clever or interesting to say. And that results in long rambling entries, or short and pointless ones. So then I just add a pic or two and it starts looking like a pic post. Then I get bombarded with trackback spams, and I get sick of dealing with those. I never make any sales with it. And it all seems like more of a hassle than any other $$ making vehicle so far. I can make sales in my sleep with free sites and TGP's and I work very little. With this blog it feels like I'm fucking with it constantly, and not making even a single sale. What gives? Does my blog really suck that bad? http://PornEditor.com <-- The blog that nearly sucked all the life out of me. __________________ The ROACHES are coming...

2005-05-24, 01:37 AM	#22
Boogie I like to blog :) Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,050	Hey Redshoe, I'd look at some of the really big adult blogs (fleshbot is a great example) and compare them to yours. I've always liked your blog but its hard work creating a constant update stream people enjoy, ya know? It should also be a launchpad to your other adult projects. Any link lists or TGP or free sites. Use it to add extra traffic to the galleries you build. "Today I built XXXX". "today I submitted to XXXX" "Today we shot this girl, her content is on this paysite" hit me up on icq if you want to talk about this a bit more mate. I think you could make it work and have it not be that much effort in the long run. __________________ I got a porn blog! Got a blog worth linking to? Contact me