Jan 26, 2014 / Community Pool

Community Pool

Community Pool

The Community Pool is for those of you looking for input, whether on post ideas, writing, blog design and layout, or anything else. If you have a post, page, or idea you want to bounce off someone, leave a comment. Your fellow bloggers can then click through and offer input either on your site, or in the comments here (feel free to indicate which you’d prefer).

Read on for the ground rules and to leave a comment. Zero to Hero participants, head to the forums to chat about today’s task.

  • You’ll get the best feedback if you can be as specific as possible about what you’d like people to respond to or where you’re struggling.
  • Please keep all comments civil and constructive. We’re here to help and support one another, not to beat anyone down.
  • If you haven’t looked at our Commenting Guidelines in a while, now might be a good time.
  • To keep from losing your place in the comment thread while you visit others’ blogs, right-click on a link to open it in a new tab or window.
  • No running on the deck.

Photo by t_a_i_s.

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      3. Interesting topics. I particularly liked your post about the Toy Story movies. That was one of my childhood favorites as well. I enjoyed reading it.

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  2. I’m a tad unsure how to run this website as I’ve just fairly recently began blogging. any tips/advice or constructive criticism as to what I’m doing wrong?

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    1. When I followed your link CARLYDC it took me to a site.. If you meant it to be your ‘About’ info you should make it an ‘About’ page’ and then have a home page that will always show your latest post at the top and others underneath which can be clicked on to take a reader to that specific post only… and like or make comment.
      You would likely benefit from sidebars with information on it… like a ‘follow me widget’ and an ‘archive’ widget….which is just a way a reader can select a month to look at some of your posts
      Perhaps a ‘tag cloud’ which takes ?20 or more unsure of # of topics you write about most…which is of course taken from the tags you use on your post. …. There is a lot you could learn… so I’m going to give you a link to WordPress support… and WordPress forum where you can ask a question or search to see if there is something regarding what you want to know Diane https://wordpress.com/support/ https://wordpress.com/forums/ Hope this helps….

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    2. I like the bold colours and really want to declare myself a wizard now. I can only say keep it up I would like to read more.

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  3. Hi Guys, Celestia and Catia here! ❤
    We are two teenage best friends just starting out on our blog, and would really love it if some of you could swing on by and check it out for us 🙂 We also would love to gain some followers! We currently have none 😛 Thanks so much

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  6. Hey all,
    I’m new to WordPress, but I’ve been loving it so far! I’d be really grateful if you could check out my blog, The Inky Pages. I post some personal writing, as well as some book/film reviews, or just my general thoughts.

    I have nothing for you to comment on specifically, but I’d be very happy if you could give some criticism on my blog as a whole. Thanks for reading!

    http://theinkypages.wordpress.com/

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    1. I have to say, I really like your blog. It may just become my go-to place to read about books and movies, particularly good fantasy novels. (Since I am working on a fantasy novel, I like to know about what is well-liked and what is a flop from the perspective of a reader.) I like the layout, since it’s simple and easy to read. And the varied topics keep everything interesting.

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      1. Thanks a lot! I am also working on a fantasy novel at the moment. There will be lots of fantasy-related stuff coming, and it’s great that you like the variety. Remember to follow if you want notifications on new posts!

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  7. I am wondering if one layout is better than another when it comes to the possibility of monetizing my blog, which I’d like to do. Also, does anyone have any insight or opinions regarding how frequently I should be posting?

    Thanks,

    Matias

    PS. I prefer responses via email as opposed to on my page.

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    1. As far as frequency of posting, it all depend on you. I post three times per week because I cannot possibly post every single day (I rarely have enough time to write a post on weekends). Some bloggers like to write once per week, others like to write daily.

      The key is consistency. If you think you can consistently write only once per week, then pick a day and post on that day. If you can consistently write every day, then go ahead and write a post daily. Focus on how often you feel comfortable writing a blog post.

      For layout, that is a personal choice. Try out a few different options until you feel comfortable or feel that it reflects either the content of your blog or your own personality.

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    1. I think it was quite effective and am immediately able to connect with what you have to say. The way it was written gives me some insight to what has been going on before this, but I still don’t know why the falling out happened or when. Hope this helps 🙂

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  13. Where can I get advice from on setting up a local community allotment blog. Which wordpress do I go with, dot com
    or dot org

    Need some help…
    anybody out there?

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    1. Hi there. Whether you go with .com or .org is up to you. Com is hosted and run by WordPress, so all you have to do is set up the content, choose the theme that will give you the right look and feel you want, set up the widgets and pages you want, and get going. If you want it to look like it belongs to you, you can also register a domain. It’s really straightforward, and the instructions to do so are clear.
      .org is using the wordpress blogging platform, but you host the site yourself, and so are also responsible for the traffic, site maintenance, and any costs you may incur to run a site. This tends to be the way that bloggers with very high traffic and/or sound technical know how go.
      Many people start with .com, then if they need to self host later, for whatever reason, they find it pretty easy to migrate between the two at a later date.
      Whichever method you choose, you can give one or many people editing rights so you can have a community of people uploading blog posts to your site.
      I have a great community of fellow gardeners I interact with regularly, many of whom I now consider good friends, so once you get started, visit a few other blogs with gardening or grow your own, or other similar tags, and you’ll quickly find your niche. Good luck

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  14. Hey everyone

    I know that this comment is bound to get lost in the inevitable sea of responses, but oh well. It’s worth a shot, right?

    So recently I’m getting into doing weekly video blogs, I see it as a sort of self improvement project. Getting better as I go along and following the improvement tips and general feedback given by others. I’d like to make this an ongoing project, even though these posts aren’t quite generating as much interest as my usual posts.

    If anyone would like to have a look at my blog, my general posts and, particularly, my recent video posts, and give me some feedback or criticism, that would be fantastic

    Thanks a lot!

    -Bradley

    http://thehoaxofadigitallife.wordpress.com/

    Like

    1. Hello,
      I think your artwork is amazing and some of your blog posts are interesting (I like the 10 Questions post). I don’t know much about videos (I have none on my blog), but it seems fine to me. Your expressiveness makes it interesting to watch. Perhaps the lower interest is due to the fact that it’s new? Or maybe just the topics in general.

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      1. Hey, thanks for the reply!

        I’m glad you like my artwork, it’s definitely something I’m going to try and do more of!

        I think you might be right about the videos, I don’t think it’s something that people generally look for on WordPress, so I guess it wouldn’t be as popular or something? I don’t know…

        There aren’t many places where you can get genuine feedback on that kind of thing, especially not on Youtube! Trying to get genuine feedback on Youtube is like going to a vegan restaurant and asking about chicken recipes… you’re mostly not going to find what you are looking for!

        Thanks again 🙂

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  16. How do you motivate yourself to make posts? I’m so easily inspired, often by the littlest things, and I can think up an entire essay worth of thoughts, but never have the motivation to type it up. Any tips on how to motivate oneself to post more often?

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    1. Hi driftinginspirations,
      Motivation is a tricky one for myself too. I find making the decision to simply get started, just by typing a few lines, gets the ball rolling. Suddenly, before you know it you have the entire piece you had in your head in front of you! I hope that helps, obviously we’re all different so you will have your own ways, but we are all here to help each other if we can. 🙂

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      1. Thanks for the reply, and thanks for checking out my blog! I’ll try that out sometime, its true that the hardest part can sometimes be just starting. Hopefully once I start posting some things it’ll begin to come easier to me!

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    2. I jot down new ideas, for me it is about inspiration I’ve had for interesting flavour combinations, as new posts, then save them as drafts. This can start with a couple of words; for example, one I have right now is just an empty post called “Jaffa Cake Trifle”. Then I will add to these posts as I get ideas. I might scribble down a technique, or a way to build on the initial thought, or an anecdote I want to include in my post. Of course, for me all this thinking results in a recipe and some testing before I can actually publish, but I do find the posts I have that start this way are often the ones I like the most. Why not try using draft posts as a way to record your thoughts too? Once you are in the habit of typing in ideas, you may find that the full post flows from there, or at least a paragraph happens, that you can come back to when inspiration on the topic hits again.

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      1. Awesome, thank you! I really tend to over think my writing, and end up putting an hour or more into something at a time… and end up not even posting it. If I gave myself a short time limit, I might very well be more motivated to actually post something. Thanks!

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  18. Hey 🙂
    I just started blogging and everything is new to me. I am just at searching my “red line” , but at the moment my content is all over the place and I am not happy with it yet…

    Do you think layout, colors etc. are ok? Is my english readable? I am struggling with every post to publish :/

    Appreciate it a lot for you helping me out 🙂

    http://thehabricou.wordpress.com/

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    1. Hi, theHabricou! I started blogging too recently. I liked two things about your page: no 1, the picture of a cake at the top! It made me hungry haha. And no 2, you post in two languages! Great! I would love to do that, I can speak some Spanish, but I don’t know if it will work well. Your english is very readable, so keep it up! 🙂

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      4. 😀 last year i spend 2 months in north spain and my spanish is horrible unfortuneately…maybe once you´ll try out posting in spanish 🙂 I will come and learn from you 🙂

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      7. Thanks 🙂 That’s great, so you can probably speak several languages. I lived in Asturias, near to Oviedo and Gijon. I taught english there to little spanish kids.

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      8. Sounds cool, so you´ve been much closer to the sea 🙂 enjoying teaching AND beaches 😉 unfortunetaley my spanish isnt good, I can barely remember the words ;D

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    2. Ich mag das sie in zwei Sprachen schreibt, aber ich fühlte mich betrogen ;). I read the German part, which I can, but is hard. Only after I was done I saw the English bit. I was so proud that I understood, and now I felt dumb…

      Really like the look and your pictures. Although I don’t think the expression ‘red line’ exists in English, I do think you have one or maybe not really need one. I like the menu, which makes navigating your blog easy and then it’s okay that there are different themes and not just one common theme. There was just one part I didn’t find that interesting and that was the shoproll, otherwise your blog is awesome.

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      1. Hey EJ 🙂
        Many thanks for taking the time to have a look at my blog. I wasnt sure about the “red line” and I didnt find something similar and I feel dumb now…will def. change it…I think I can express it with other words ^^

        For the German and English posts: there is a hint in the about page, that will show when you enter the blog. In the english part of the about text you´ll find the info that the english version of the post is on the bottom of each of them, 🙂 because of this I picked the about page as the starting one. Maybe I should change that, too.

        Youre right, the shoproll really doesnt suit the blog, I even do not know why I put it there…maybe because the blog looked so empty at the start O.o ;D

        Thank you a lot for your suggestions :)) and for following me :))

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  20. Another Sunday, another week of improvements on my blog (I think!) thanks to Zerotohero. Grateful for all comments, especially on my new header image, updated about me page, and the two posts from this week, one a nostalgia for my life in Italy recipe post and one a geeky appreciation for my new labelmaker! Thanks all! Happy Sunday evening!

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    1. Hey Anna! I genuinely enjoyed your post on Italian food in Tuscany. You were so lucky to experience home prepared food like that, what a nice woman. I have been to Italy, unfortunately only briefly, but please God I will return this summer. The food is amazing. I can’t wait to have it again haha. By coincidence, I wrote a piece in this last week on my time in Italy too (it’s about the Irish college in Rome). If you would like to read it, just click on my page. Keep up the good writing!

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      1. Loved your post too! Italy is a pretty unique place in my opinion! Where are you going in the summer? If Florence is on the cards I will write a post with some tourist tips and restaurants etc. In fact, I should probably do that anyway! It would be long though, maybe I’ll split it into three. Food and eating needs a whole post on its own!

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      2. Florence may be on the cards, as I would love to see another city. However, I’m off to Rome again. I would like to do a small bit of traveling though around Italy. Regardless, if you write something on Florence I (and surely many others) will want to read it!

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      3. True – Italy is one of those countries which people just fall in love with, even if they have never been! Maybe that should be the focus of my post – why we love it so much!

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  21. Hey guys, can you check out my blog (thegamesland.wordpress.com)?
    It’s about videogames, but there’s a couple of posts there about the history of Atari and there’s a few reviews.
    Do you think the layout is OK and easy to read? I don’t want the font to be too difficult to read.
    Thanks!

    Like

    1. Hi!
      The layout is alright, and pretty readable but I personally find the white font on black a little too hard to read. Maybe you need to switch from light to dark ( if your theme offers that option of course) ? Have fun blogging.

      Like

  22. mynotsodistantrelationship.wordpress.com
    Hi everyone! I would love to receive some constructive critics about my LDR blog. I’d love your thoughts and feedback! (I know I have some grammar errors, sorry for that. I’ll check them tonight). Thanks for your time, I really appreciate it 😀

    Like

  24. I have continued to experiment throughout the month with my posts.
    I would appreciate any feedback my fellow bloggers have particularly on how to move visits to followers.

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    1. Being a relatively new blogger myself, I’m still not too sure about the theory and whatnot about blogging and am not really sure how to answer that question. That being said, however, I really like your posts, especially your most recent one, about ‘Walking in Memphis’. I definitely would have followed but can’t find the follow button.

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  25. Hey there all! I’d appreciate any general tips on content, style, etc. I’ve been posting since about August, but not really focused on creating really good content and promoting. Thanks!

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  26. Hi: I’ve been blogging for about a month now and I’m curious. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to get people to leave comments on our posts? I always add, “I welcome your comments” but it doesn’t seem to be working. I appreciate peoples feedback so what’s up with no comments? Thank you.

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    1. I can’t guarantee it will work, but have you tried not asking for comments? I hate to say it, but asking for comments can seem like “begging” for comments, which is likely to make some people who might otherwise comment, turn away. It might even make them quit reading your blog altogether if they notice that it is at the bottom of every post they read, even after as few as 2 to 4 posts.

      You say you’ve only been blogging for a month. If you’ve only been blogging for a month, what does your traffic look like? You may not have much traffic yet. If you aren’t getting traffic, you won’t get comments. Be sure to check your stats page to keep an eye on your traffic.

      Unfortunately, comments are a rather organic and unpredictable thing. You can try to manipulate things to get more comments, but specifically what gets commented on and why is not necessarily something you can easily control. You can improve your odds by doing things to increase traffic to your site and specific posts, and statistically, your comment numbers will go up, but leading the proverbial horse to water is the best you can do. Making it drink is still the horse’s decision.

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    2. There was a tip on one of the Daily Posts that “comments breed comments” which I’ve found to be true.
      I try to comment on five blogs a day on topics that I’m interested in and with it has come increased traffic on my blog and some comments.
      Also I’ve found commenting on the Community Pool has bought increased traffic and comments.

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  28. How funny! I can so relate to having nights like that and seriously don’t worry about being 32 and watching that movie. I’m 37 and I’ll still keep it on if I come across it flipping channels. I really need to visit your grocery store though because mine just isn’t that exciting. 🙂

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  30. Hey everyone! Brand new to blogging in general.
    About a week ago, I posted about a short story I spent a bunch of time making this summer. I got some advice from browney237 (Thanks! http://www.browney237.com/ ) about formatting. I did some editing and cut the story into chapters. It should be more digestible now.
    Give it a look if you feel like it, even if it’s just a little bit. Let me know if it hooks you, and what I could do differently if it doesn’t.
    Thanks!

    Like