Dec 8, 2014 / Community Pool

Community Pool

The place for advice, feedback, and friendly blogging chatter.

Have you just published a new post and are dying for some feedback? Did you recently start your blog and could use some layout or design advice from your more seasoned peers?

Tap into the wisdom of The Daily Post blogging community and leave your question here in the comments. Others can then click through and offer input either on your site, or in the comments here (feel free to indicate which you’d prefer).

To help us make the Community Pool a productive space for discussion, here are some tips you might find useful:

TIP: 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.

  • While you’re not required to, we encourage everyone who requests feedback to also reply to at least one or two other bloggers who need some help. Spread the love!
  • The Community Pool comments section can get quite big — and starting duplicate threads doesn’t help. Thanks for not posting the same question more than once!
  • If you’re looking for quality feedback, be as specific as you can. Questions about a particular post tend to draw more comments than ones about entire blogs. Questions about specific design elements are more likely to be answered than ones asking for general layout advice.
  • We discourage leaving links without a more substantive message or question. These are often overlooked by other bloggers, and we frequently remove them to make the comment reading experience smoother.
  • Please keep all comments civil and constructive. The idea is to have fun — it’s a pool, after all!
  • If you haven’t looked at our Commenting Guidelines in a while, now might be a good time.
  • No running on the deck.

Photo by Brian Cantoni.

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    1. Hi, engaging in the community is a great start. This is a great forum. I would also suggest linking your blog address and a brief description of your theme. I find commenting on other’s blogs really drives traffic. Best wishes 😉

      Liked by 2 people

    2. Well, it depends on how much personal advertising you are willing to do for it. I writte for a famous blog back home and we started on word of mouth, literally asking everyone to take a look and than if your material is good so will be your retention, besides that you can try street marketing, something along the lines of “go on the street and interview people for a post, have ready cards (or print paper) with your blogs name and people will always go check to see if what they said is in an article and if it is their friends will also look into it” after that its back to retention based on your content.
      If your blog is like mine(anonymous and you want to keep it that way) I would suggest interaction with the wordpress community and twitter, but that can take a long time.
      This is my latest article if I sparked your interest

      Final Exams U.S.A Evaluation

      Like

    3. Well, it depends on how much personal advertising you are willing to do for it. I writte for a famous blog back home and we started on word of mouth, literally asking everyone to take a look and than if your material is good so will be your retention, besides that you can try street marketing, something along the lines of “go on the street and interview people for a post, have ready cards (or print paper) with your blogs name and people will always go check to see if what they said is in an article and if it is their friends will also look into it” after that its back to retention based on your content.
      If your blog is like mine(anonymous and you want to keep it that way) I would suggest interaction with the wordpress community and twitter, but that can take a long time.
      Also take a look at famous bloggeers, ideas will always come from it.
      This is my latest article if I sparked your interest

      Final Exams U.S.A Evaluation

      Like

    1. First off, you did the right thing by posting in this forum. Traffic and views will increase primarily through interaction-especially a lifestyle blog like yours. My advice would be to apply the Golden Rule. If you want people to visit & comment on your blog then visit others blogs & comment on theirs. Sharing the love often leads to getting you some of your own. Best wishes

      Liked by 1 person

    1. I agree that your blog is humorous.

      As a writer, I think you have super talent in keeping a story in 100 words. Congratulations!

      Your blog looks like a suburban neighborhood.

      Leanne Lieu

      Like

    1. I would recommend looking at blogs with a similar theme to yours and engage with them by commenting on their posts. I am blogging anonymously so I haven’t linked my fb but others have suggested that this really helps. Good luck 😉

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Hey everyone.. Wanted to say thank you to everyone for posting such amazing posts.. Please check out my blog Hadiyyatulinisaa.wordpress.com.. Thanks

      Liked by 2 people

    1. I visited your blog and left a comment on the Final Exams post. Your post makes some excellent points and is the type of post that has great potential for getting a lot of comment interaction.

      I had a little trouble navigating your blog because I couldn’t find a menu. That might just be me, but if you don’t have one yet, you might want to put one up, even if it just has ‘home’ and ‘about’. And a follow widget might be a good idea. Also, I agree with Jinx that your blog’s name is a little off-putting and not representative of what you are about. Your posts are thoughtful and thought provoking, and not at all hateful 🙂

      Like

  12. Hi everyone,

    I am a total blog-Virgin, and have started my blog recently.
    I would really appreciate some comments or feedback on my blog in general, and the posts I have written so far.

    https://butismileanyway.wordpress.com

    What is the best way to get followers? Is it a blog worth following, even?

    All comments gratefully received, and I will try my hardest to return the favour!

    Thanks in advance,
    Ritu

    Like

    1. Hey, Ritu!
      I am also new to blogging, but from what I can tell you look like you’re on the right track. You have a SUPER charming blog, and I think the positivity that flows from it is going to be getting it a good set of followers soon. So don’t worry if they don’t come in mass right now. 🙂

      A good way to get blog followers is simply to comment and follow other blogs, at least that’s what I hear from more popular bloggers. But don’t stress about getting followers, let writing be its own joy!

      -Gabriel

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Thank you so much for the encouraging wiords, Gabriel!
        I have always been a writer..in my mind, and have started several ‘books’ or short stories along the road, but there is always something that gets in the way. Blogging is getting my creative juices flowing again, and I will try and post any short stories, or excerpts from longer writing, or even some of my rhyming stories for kids, alongside my ‘thoughts’
        Thanks again!
        😊
        Ritu

        Liked by 1 person

  13. Good afternoon! I write a blog on my upcoming novel and the struggles of being a college writer. A good example is my most recent post series, Films and Finals.
    Pt 1: https://wordpress.com/read/post/id/74047722/54/
    Pt 2: https://wordpress.com/read/blog/id/74047722/

    My question is simply, what could I do to make the blogs more interesting, and what free designs can I get to draw some more attention to the blog in the first place?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi, I’m not an experienced blogger at all, but I enjoyed the posts of yours that I read. Waiting for feedback on something you have written is torturous, I can sympathise with you on that!
      Ritu
      X

      Liked by 1 person

  14. I’ve had my blog for some time but don’t have too many viewers or subscribers so wondering if some of you would take a look and give me some pointers on making the blog better and getting the word out to get new readers. Of course, I’d be delighted to check out your blog and do the same.
    http://birdingboomers.com/

    Liked by 1 person

    1. You write some really informative posts and you use some great photographs. I think that if you used a more visual theme you’d be able to show off those photo’s more and it’d help the blog stand out.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I’m pretty new to blogging myself so I don’t know that I can offer you any advice on how to build readership. I’m a very visual person and I think your pictures are lovely but I find the small font type and the narrow column of the blog has a constricted feel to it. A wider screen would give more breathing space so to speak and give a better canvas for your photos. I don’t know if this helps or would make any difference just thought I’d mention. This is a very enjoyable read and love the top 10 idea format.

        Liked by 2 people

      2. I’m glad you liked my blog too and thanks for the feedback! You are right; it looks fine on a phone or tablet but too narrow on a computer, maybe I need to look at a new theme and font. Thank you 🙂

        Like

      3. Ahhh, I didn’t think of how it might look on a phone. I tend not to use my phone so much because it is not as flexible. I’m at my computer now and can easily link to your blog which I can’t do from my phone. I wonder if they have any statistics on how readers access the blogs. That would be interesting information to have. I’m glad the feedback helped.

        Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks for the comments…..you’ve all given me a few things to think about. I’ll keep plugging away and we’ll see how it goes. Again, thanks.

        Liked by 1 person

  16. Hi friends(:
    I’m 16 years old, trying to launch a blog. I’ve been trying to find my voice in the blogging community since I was 11. In the beginning, I published short fictional pieces and added some personal stories here and there. But no one seems to notice the effort I put into my posts? So, that was pretty discouraging. So many times I thought that I could never do it; get people to read my work and actually like them. Unfortunately, this resulted in many many days of sitting in front of my computer with an open blank page staring back at me. Eventually, I deleted a total of 3 blogs because I thought the things I posted were just not good enough.
    Help me….

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I feel you. I just deleted 3 myself because I didn’t like the name of the url haha. I think once we get pass those minor things we can’t let what others think get in our way. I’m new to blogging so believe me when I say I’m totally speaking out of my ass right now…but I’d be willing to bet the most successful writers do it from their heart and don’t just try to please people. We could both probably try that more.

      Like

    2. You just have to continue what you’ve been doing, regardless if anyone sees your posts. Over time, more and more people will start to take notice of your blog. It also helps if you add tags to your posts because this way, more people will discover your blog. If you interact with other blogs, such as commenting your thoughts about one of their posts, or following a blog back, this can also earn you more appreciation.

      Like

    1. hi artistdevee. I just read your most recent post. It does read well, particularly the last few paragraphs. I understand exactly what you are talking about. I would like to leave a different comment on your actual blog, answering and considering some of the questions you pose, but for here I will just say, good job changing the title and coming to that realization. It is totally understandable to not want to feel confined. If you feel like you can only write about or post about one particular thing in the blog, than that alone could be an impetus to feel like you don’t want to write, etc. It’s good to feel like you aren’t restricted, that way you can have more freedom in expression.

      Liked by 1 person

      2. if you want, check out my blog. its my first post and my first time blogging. i was asking for feedback too. i have a comment in the pool a few below yours

        Like

    2. I just read….Really liked the post…I commented and it made me really think about things. BUT..now you made me think about my own blog and my title (thanks LOL!) wondering the same thing you talked about. I loved how you tided things together. Beautiful.

      Liked by 1 person

  18. Hello people, I’m brand spanking new! First blog and first post. Just wondering what you think of it. I don’t know what kind of language is most commonly used but I just tried to talk out loud and to a general audience. Any suggestions would be mighty appreciated and returned of course.

    https://feelingsandviews.wordpress.com/

    Like

    1. Welcome to the blogging world. I’m fairly new as well so I’m all about giving and getting feedback. I think an “about” section may help your blog. Something a little more personal so we know why your writing and what your focus is. If it’s just a daily journal of your daily happenings or is there more you want us to know? Good luck to you!

      Like

  19. Hello, I just began my blogging experience for the first time this past Sunday. I have one post up. I would like some general feedback on the initial writing content, and maybe a direction I could take in the future, or any other ideas?
    Also, any layout advice would be helpful, particularly with providing links for facebook, or to email me, or have a more elaborate about me section.
    In turn, I’ll visit your sites too, or answer any questions you direct my way.

    http://soulitudespace.wordpress.com/

    Like

  20. Hi guys, i am new to blogging. and though my blog is more of a personal journal to write about my thoughts, i’d really like some advice on how to improve my writing and be more expressive

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Your blog has the potential to be very informative but I must say it is very redundant in the way it is written. You explanation of why you could not do the planned shopping post could have been said in a single sentence, and only once. I would also recommend making your page a bit easier to navigate, I.E comments section and perhaps a sidebar menu.

      Like

  23. Hi pool-goers,

    I started my blog less than a month ago (I don’t know if that counts as brand spankin’ new, but that’s what I will call it), where I plan on posting my novel.

    I would like all sorts of feedback from
    1. Am I using a fitting theme?
    2. Why aren’t I getting all the traffic, shares, comments, and subscriptions that I want?
    3. Content-base – is there too many words?
    4. Is my book just plain-old not good?

    Thanks everyone. I’ll reciprocate.

    https://ellesadventureinchina.wordpress.com/

    Like

    1. I gave some of chapter one a read, and I’m afraid the genre is something I tend to stay away from! It’s just not really my cup of tea! but best of luck with it!

      Like

    2. Hi Leanne, your blog looks great. To be honest I found the amount of material a little overwhelming. I guess I prefer to be able to ‘jump in and out’ of blogs easily. Could you post some anecdotes or short stories as a lure and then perhaps build a following that you can market your novel too? Just my thoughts. Best of luck.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Hi Beyond the picket fence, thank you for telling me the layout looks great. I tend to agree that most of the population do not have a lot of time, like yourself, to sit and read an entire chapter on their lunch break. I totally get it, so no harm taken.

        I will do my best adding anecdotes! Thanks for the suggestions!

        Leanne Lieu

        Liked by 1 person