Lists and resources are huge in the blogging world and can be even bigger traffic drivers well after their initial posting. If tagged correctly they can add incredible value to your blog as well as build clout for you as an expert in your field – something you should be aiming to do if you have a blog. Nevertheless, many people get lists and resources confused when they are in fact two different things you can do for your blog. To help you understand their differences, I’ve provided a short definition of each below:

List: a series of names or other items written or printed together in a meaningful grouping or sequence so as to constitute a record.

Resource: a source of supply, support, or aid, especially one that can be readily drawn upon when needed.

As you can clearly see, a List and a Resource are two very different things. All this being said, when you blog, you can always have a list of resources but know you can also have both lists and resources – very few bloggers step back and think about it this way. Here are 10 blog topics/titles to help you start thinking in a new frame of mind about lists and resources. I’ve included five list-based topics/titles and five resource-based topics/titles. Examine them carefully – you’ll see how they blur together but also how they can stand on their own.

5 List-Based Blog Topics/Titles

1. 52 Ways To Entertain Your Toddler
2. 101 Things You Can Do to Boost Your Creativity
3. 10 Things You Should Be Doing to Build An Audience on Pinterest
4. 20 Ways to Get Organized
5. 7 Exercises You Can Do at Your Desk To Relax Almost Instantly

5 Resource-Based Blog Topics/Titles

1. Online Giveaways Resource Page
2. Fiber Artist’s Resource Page for Yarn, Fabric, Hooks, Needs, and More!
3. Play Grounds & Moms Meet and Greet Resource Page for: (Fill In Name of Your Community/City)
4. Ultimate Blog Hop & Linky Party Resource Page
5. Online Marketplaces + Reviews Resource Page

I’d like to thank Thaleia Maher of Something2Offer for hosting this event. She has been the inspiration and driving force behind this collaborative challenge and it wouldn’t have happened without her. Please take a moment to visit other pages on her site as well as check out the other Hostesses helping out who have made this challenge possible. Thank you everyone! If you have questions or would like more help with your blog, please contact me directly.

See you tomorrow for Day 4,

Martiel

If you are in the business of sharing your knowledge whether it is as a business owner, blogger or in another roll, your job is to be a solution to someone’s problem. Sounds simple right – it is, especially when you approach your writing in a way that says “I’m a solution to my reader’s problem.” Now, your reader doesn’t need to have serious issues, their problem could be as simple as not knowing what diapers to buy, how to create a simple graphic for their website or what glitter to choose for a project; in which case you can offer a great deal of insight from your own experience. Here are 10 blog topics/titles you can use directly or as inspiration for your next blog post as you work on being a solution to your reader’s problem.

Day 2: 10 Problem/Solution Blog Post Topics

1. How to Read Nutrition Labels
2. The Best Glues for Adhering Uneven Surfaces
3. How to Stay Organized On the Go!
4. How to Create Your Own Busy-Bags
5. 3 Creative Ways to Refresh Your Living Room
6. How to Take Great Photographs with Your Cell Phone
7. 2 Cupcake Icing Recipes That Stand-Up!
8. How to Shoot a Video Tutorial
9. The Best Places Online for Bridal and Party Supplies
10. PC vs. MAC: How to Buy the One That Will Be Best For You

I’d like to thank Thaleia Maher of Something2Offer for hosting this event. She has been the inspiration and driving force behind this collaborative challenge and it wouldn’t have happened without her. Please take a moment to visit other pages on her site as well as check out the other Hostesses helping out who have made this challenge possible. Thank you everyone! If you have questions or would like more help with your blog, please contact me directly.

See you tomorrow for Day 3,

Martiel

If you aren’t keeping your home fires burning on your blog, then you are probably stoking the fire somewhere else – generally in the world of blogging this isn’t going to help you connect and/or grow your audience. However, when it comes to building a growing and dedicated audience there is one thing you can do – consistently produce superb content.

How do you create or produce a consistent stream of superb content? Simple, you just need to know where to look and be willing to think outside the box.

Starting today and for the next 9 day (10 in total folks) I’ll be sharing with you how to come up unique and interesting content for your blog. I will also be helping you by giving you 100 blog topics you can use either directly or as inspiration for your next blog post. If you have questions during this time (or if you find this after the challenge is over), please don’t hesitate to reach out and ask questions or share your thoughts, I love hearing from you.

Shall we get started? I think so!

3 Ways to Uncover Unique Blog Topics

Visit Other Blogs

If you aren’t visiting other blogs then you are missing out because you should be leaving comments on at least a few blogs every day. However, that being said, if you aren’t visiting blogs this is your opportunity to start. Do a online search for blogs with broad topics you are interested in such as “Blogs on crochet” or “Blogs about cooking.” You will get a variety of hits and then you can start looking at what people are posting, what gets the most comments, what is shared more, and so on. If something catches your eye, write down the topic or bookmark the article so you can use it as a reference later.

NOTE: A word to the wise about plagiarism. It isn’t acceptable either online or off. Please give credit where credit is due. If you are going to quote someone’s material, it is completely okay to do so but  then make sure you provide a backlink to their site and reference them correctly. It is also good form to let them know you have mentioned them in your article.

Subscribe to Content Management Sites

Almost everyone who blogs has heard the words “content management” thrown around and frankly its just a fancy word for creating unique content. Don’t let the fancy word use scare you, just roll with it and learn to use the lexicon of online writing.

All of this being said, you can make it relatively easy on yourself and subscribe to content management sites that will feed you a daily dose of recently posted information from a subject/topic of your choice; there are several out there you can choose from – many of which have become very popular and some which are less so. Here are a two of my favorites.

• StumbleUpon
• Reddit

Free Write

Take 15 minutes and just write. It might sound simple or it might sound incredible hard – no matter how you see it, it is a very rewarding experience. The goal of your free writing sessions should be to write whatever comes to mind. Rules for free writing are the following: No erasing or deleting and no stopping – meaning even if you have to type the letter “J” 500 times, don’t stop. I find it best to set a timer during these sessions because then I don’t have to think about when I started and when I’m supposed to end – I can simply think about the task at hand.

When you are done, put your free written work away and leave it alone for a day. Come back to it later and reread what you wrote and make notes on anything that stands out. It’s good to keep your free writings because even if they don’t spark something the next day, they may spark something for you later on.

Day 1: 10 General Topics for Bloggers

1. How to Host a Live Video Event On Your Blog
2. 3 Apps Every Blogger Should Know About
3. What do Your Blog Colors Say About You?
4. Make Money with Your Blog: 5 Affiliate Programs that Bring in the $$
5. Interview with (NAME: Fill in the Blank);My Favorite (Fill in the Blank: Blogger/Photographer/Artist/Etc.)
6. 10 Fun Goldfish Cracker Snacks for Kids
7. Eco-Friendly Cleaners Your Pocketbook with LOVE!
8. Why I Shop at (Fill in the Blank: Costco/Whole Foods/Walmart/Amazon/or Your Favorite Shop)
9. 3 Creative Projects for Leftover Styrofoam (Yes, the stuff leftover after you buy something!)
10. Love Quotes? The Ultimate List of Quote Websites and Groups

I’d like to thank Thaleia Maher of Something2Offer for hosting this event. She has been the inspiration and driving force behind this collaborative challenge and it wouldn’t have happened without her. Please take a moment to visit other pages on her site as well as check out the other Hostesses helping out who have made this challenge possible. Thank you everyone! If you have questions or would like more help with your blog, please contact me directly.

See you tomorrow for Day 2,

Martiel

Martiel Beatty from Amazing Success Academy specializes in helping artists build online businesses and blogs. She is a fiber artist, expert blogger, author of Blog Notes, and GIMP Wizard. She is also the founder of Sewmantra and started the Academy because she couldn’t find an affordable, knowledgeable and effective program that supported handmade, indie-artists. Find out how she can help you build your business today. Learn More Now!

 

Welcome to Boost Your Blog in 100 Days! I’m so excited you have chosen to take this journey with me and my dear challenge hostesses! I hope to get to meet you a little bit along the way via facebook, twitter, pinterest, and your blogs. My goal for this 100 days is to spruce up our blogs together and kick our usage and understanding of Social Media into high gear.

Guess what folks? Hackers happen to the best of us. Cat’s chew power cords and kids have birthdays. Yep all real-life events that are going on this week around the #BB100 Challenge! I’m pinch blogging so to speak until Honey can safely access her blog again! I promise Honey will catch everyone up to speed on all the awesome tweetiness (just made this up:) she had planned for us all to learn, but for today you have me!

Since I am no way a guru for Twitter and had no intention of teaching anyone about Twitter anytime soon here goes. Some of my favorite Twitter tips from around the web. (Sorry Honey but I had to give these dear folks something).

Here a quick Twitter checklist off the top of my head:

1. What is your Twitter Handle? Your @something2offer.com_______. Does it reflect your blog or brand or platform?

2. Do you have a picture? Is it current?

3. Did you fill in info. on your profile? You gotta have something relevant so people know why they should follow you.

4. Remember Twitter is NOT IM! Yes, tweets go out quickly but please do not tweet just to tweet! YES, reply with a thoughtful comment. YES, Retweet when you see something worth sharing. Please do not reply to everything from everyone.

5. Keep your tweets to 100-120 characters. Use a url shortener like Hoot or Bitly so your characters are eaten by the url.

6. Find a few people from your niche to follow. Engage them by replying or asking them a question. Mention a post you read that was interesting, etc.

Okay, that’s all I got for now. I smell a delicious Chicken Asparagus Dinner calling my name! Check out some more twitter tips below AND watch out for #BB100 TWEETS!

Take the following tips and ideas for what they are worth. I just did a quick google search and read through these quickly to make sure they weren’t totally ridiculous.

10 Twitter Tools to Organize Your Tweeps

 

The Twitter Followholic: An Epidemic

 

Safety tips for parents

 

How Twitter can help your business