Jan 6, 2016 / Beginner

“How Do I…?” Your FABQ (Frequently Asked Blogging Questions), Answered

It’s a new year, but some perennial questions are always worth addressing.

We share a lot of advice and information here at The Daily Post — we want to help you accomplish whatever blogging goals you’ve set for yourself and make those resolutions (if any) become reality.

In that spirit, here are eight posts from the past year that you might find helpful in these early days of 2016. Each tackles one major question that we see bloggers raise time and again, especially as they start out in the blogging world. Let’s jump right in…

How should I choose my blog name?

Glad you asked — coming up with a catchy name that channels what your site is about is key to attracting the right readers. Cheri’s post on the topic offers many great pointers, from using quotes to injecting playfulness into the name-selection process.

How can I encourage my readers to comment on my posts?

Seeing your post out there in the world feels great. Not receiving a single comment in response to it? Less so. If you’ve ever felt frustrated about the lack of activity in your comments section, check out Michelle’s tips on making your blog a welcoming space for discussion and interaction.

How can I make sure my blog doesn’t get me into trouble in real life?

Many bloggers share extremely personal stories on their sites, whether they discuss relationships, family, past trauma, health issues, or other sensitive matters. Elizabeth’s post on keeping your blog from complicating your real life is essential reading for anyone who wonders about the limits of sharing.

How do I get my blog’s main topics to appear on my site’s navigation?

Letting readers find the posts they’re after is crucial, which is why so many of you want to add your main categories to your site’s primary menu — this comes up time and again in our Community Pool. The solution? Category Pages! Krista’s how-to covers all you need to know about them.

What’s the best way to tag my posts?

Adding tags to your posts takes seconds, but it ensures that people can find you in the WordPress.com Reader. To maximize your reach — and your time in the spotlight — head over to this post on tagging strategy.

Does my blog have to focus on one niche only?

We contain multitudes — why shouldn’t our blogs reflect our diverse interests? Bloggers often ask us how they might expand the range of topics they address without sacrificing coherence, and Michelle’s wise words on this issue are a must-read if this is something you’ve wondered about.

How can I experiment with my layout without annoying my readers?

Whether you’re a brand-new blogger or a veteran, you know that your blog’s appearance is always a work in progress. But it doesn’t mean you have to confuse your visitors with constant changes — heed Andrea’s advice and start a test blog, and you’ll be able to implement only those changes you’re sure about.

Where can I find cool blogs to read and follow?

From Discover to tag searches, the WordPress.com Reader is your one-stop destination for finding great blogs and specific posts on topics that interest you. Cheri’s Reader pro tips will help you zoom in on stuff you’re likely to enjoy and keep your past favorites within easy reach.

For more posts like the ones mentioned here, check out our General Advice & Pro Tips category. What was the most helpful blogging tip you’ve received recently?

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  1. I love all the new formatting changes — except that, when inserting a link in a post, there is no longer the box that you can choose a prior post (for serialized stories)…one has to manually go back to the blog post history, grab the URL, then drop it into the box. This is for the “newer” posting format and not the older version. Any idea how to fix this? Thanks

    Liked by 4 people

    1. You’re correct that this feature hasn’t been added to our new editor just yet, Our team is working on it, though, and it’s definitely on our roadmap as we keep improving the editor.

      Like

  5. About discovering new blogs, what happened to the old feature? The old discover? Back when today’s Discover was Freshly Pressed; there was a list of categories- e.g Humor – and a slider of 10 blogs. That menu was excellent . The new blogs you could follow suggestions are curated from the lists of blogs we follow. It is good. But turns up not so perfect matches every now and then.
    Has that particular previous searching feature moved to a different place?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. We’ve moved our Site Picks — which used to be called Recommended Blogs before the new Reader was launched — to our Discover showcase. You can find them when you browse by topic: https://wordpress.com/discover/topics/

      One difference you’ll notice, though, is that each category contains not just sites, but also hand-curated posts. The description of each one will usually let you know at a glance whether it’s a post or a site that you’re looking at.

      Liked by 2 people

  10. how can I have the domain name of my choice please? When I submit my domain name, wordpress inserts the suffix blog or site in it. It do not want the suffix blog or site please.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Dear Sir, Thank you very much for replying to my question. May I please ask you how to remove the orange banner from the top of my website methodistindia.wordpresss.org ? I did not put the orange color and do not desire it. Thank you very much.

        Liked by 1 person

  12. I wish I saw this post when I was starting my blog back in the summer! This is great, thank you for sharing your thoughts 🙂

    If possible, another question I’d like answered is “How can I generate more interest and get more traffic to my page?” I have started to be more strategic with my categories and tags and trying to post at different times of the day and at different days of the week, but I’m still pretty new to all of this! Thank you in advance 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  14. Ahh, I am so glad I came upon this blog! I can’t wait to read all of this later(on my lunch break now!) I started my blog a little over a month ago & this literally has everything covered that I need. Thank you<3

    Liked by 1 person

    1. What you’re describing sounds a lot like category pages that appear in your blog’s main menu — check out the post I linked to above under “How do I get my blog’s main topics to appear on my site’s navigation?”

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  16. Thanks for writing this! I’ve wanted to use categories on my blog for a while now but never really knew how to do it, so this was definitely a helpful post 🙂 I’m also really eager to increase interaction with my readers through the comments section – sometimes it does feel frustrating when you spend time on a post and it seems to have been swept under the blogging rug!

    Liked by 5 people

  26. Thanks Ben. As a newbie, this page is full of invaluable leads to very useful information. I’m taken by the thelpfulness and thoughtful advice by bloggers I’ve just met. The Daily Post is now on a ‘must-read’ list. One kind blogger looked at my page and said the Theme is wrong for my purpose (https://richardalaba.wordpress.com) so Andrea’s blog on test sites will keep me busy for days. cheers, Richard

    Liked by 2 people

  29. Hey guys, very useful article. Certainly taken a few tips for my blog, I have just made my second post, sharing my travelling montage video. Any thoughts and tips would be appreciated!
    🙂

    Liked by 2 people