How to be a FAMOUS BLOGGER

If you want to become known around the blogosphere, there is a code you must type by!

1 ::: GIVE YOUR BLOG A UNIQUE NAME- My blog began life as "Capital Region People" and then "Dave Lucas." Some prefer to call it "New York's HOTTEST Blog" (as dubbed so on a Chinese forum a few years back). Your blog needs an IDENTITY.

2 ::: COME UP WITH AN EYE-CATCHING LOGO OR PICTURE - "Image is everything" and in case you haven't noticed, I have TWO distinct images I use: one is a picture of me and the other a cartoon graphic. You must create an illusion for the masses to identify with. A "sticky" profile picture!

3 ::: SELECT A UNIQUE "HAT" OR NICKNAME AND USE IT ON TWITTER, MySpace and as your "blog signature" and when you participate in online forums. This is as much a part of your "online persona" as the logo/picture. I pretty much just use my name and sometimes my DJ name "DaveyBoy."

4 ::: BE ORIGINAL! Stand Out! In a post dating back several years, blogger Ambra Nykola worte "Your audience wants to read original stuff, not rehashed trash that they have already read six times over. Be original. You want to be a producer most of the time. It's OK to be a reviewer or a pointer sometimes too. But if you want to be a rock star (blogger), you gotta deliver the originals. Do you know of any coverbands playing Madison Square Garden?

Nothing irks blog readers (blogders) more than some idiot who sends out a tweet with a catchy headline that links back to a blog that only has a link to another person's blog. A big time-waster! Don't do that! Back to Ambra: "you may wonder if anyone is reading. When your audience is small, this is when you need to be giving your best performances. Wow them with your blog virtuosity, even if you are playing to only one or two readers. It may be helpful for you to pretend as if you already have a large readership. It's sort of like air guitar for blogging."

5 ::: WRITE! Post articles about topics you are passionate about! Don't be afraid to vary your repetoire! Engage your readers. Ask questions. Encourage dialogue! Post ORIGINAL images whenever you can! Join writer's groups like Seeded Buzz to help promote your articles!

Don't be a copycat! I've often read people speculating on who will be "the Next Instapundit" or "the Next (Insert Popular Person)". Along with this comes tips on how to become an A-list blogger. Newsflash: we don't need another Instapundit. We need YOU to be YOU! Bring what you have to the table and stop trying to emulate the success of others. Throw out the hope of attaining someone else's level of success. I promise your blog will be much more successful as a result.

6 ::: PROMOTE! Use twitter, tags, Digg, StumbleUpon and pinging to get word out about your latest post! Use trackbnacks whenever you can, and by all means, LEAVE COMMENTS ON OTHER BLOGS along with the URL of your relevant post! Use blogsearch.google.com to find out who ese is writing about what you've written about! See what THEY say! Add your comments! Provide an RSS feed!

7 ::: TAKE CONTROL! You wrote it, you posted it: now don't be afraid to stand up for it! Increase the strength of your reputation by joining services like MyBlogLog and creating new threads on forums. There are many different types of alliances you can establish.

8 :: BE RESPONSIVE! Answer all comments and other interaction from other bloggers and from readers! Don't dismiss (or get offended by) important criticism! Don't play the part of a "wounded" blogger! Boo-hoo-hoo! If there is a falling out or a problem, resolve it, don't run from it! Confront it! Don't hide your head in the sand like an ostrich!

9 ::: BE SMART! There will be days when the last thing you want to look at is your weblog. A good rule of thumb: if you don't have something to say, don't upload a post. Do not check your web stats each day. Just let things flow initially. Avoid "get hits quick" schemes. Use social networking services (Facebook, Twitter, MyBlogLog, Blog Catalog, Entrecard) to establish friendships and expose your articles.

10 ::: RECIPROCATE! Comment back when someone leaves a comment on your blog! Visit their blog! If they drop on your entrecard, drop back (or advertise on their blog! Say "hey" once in awhile to those who check in on your C-box or tagboard. Participate in memes and causes!

TRAFFIC TIP ::: Get a sitemeter of one sort or another so that you can monitor your blog traffic. Wednesday night (New York Time) around 7:30 (Thursday morning in Southeast Asia & Australia/NZ) is the best time to post. My biggest traffic day in April 2010 was Thursday, April 22nd. The following data is four years old, but IMHO still valid.

* The highest traffic in a month comes in the first and third weeks of a month, with more hits during the end half of a month.

* The highest traffic days of the week are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

* The highest traffic in an average day comes during 0800 – 1400 PST (1600 – 2200 GMT).

* Most comments are posted between 0900 – 1400 PST (1600 – 2200 GMT).

* People are more likely to comment on a post on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

Some say it's important to "blog everyday", but I say that it shouldn't be done at the cost of quality and purpose.