Jan 11, 2016 / Community Pool

Community Pool

The place for feedback, advice, 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?

Did you just start blogging and you’re not sure how to get going? Has your blog been dormant for a while but you’d like to give it a jolt of life? Join our free Blogging 101 course (or any of our other offerings at Blogging U.).

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!
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    1. Hi.. saw your post on vows. Really nice. I quite like the line “I vow to understand that life is a lesson and that I should learn something everyday.”

      Liked by 4 people

  2. Hi All

    I am a mother who as a child always had liking for books and writing. Last year I started my own blog on parenting by the name “The Champa Tree”.

    I did a new post today on some bitter lessons of life we as parents should teach our children. Do check out my blog post and I would love to have your views about it.

    5 Bitter Lessons Of Life I Had To Teach My Child

    Thank you and have a fab week 🙂

    Liked by 5 people

  3. Hello fellow bloggers, Mark here! I will shortly be releasing my debut psychological thriller novel to the world and need all the help and support that I can get. I would be forever grateful if you could stop by, check out my blog and even follow if you can. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Take care, Mark.
    http://www.markdraycott.com

    Liked by 7 people

    1. I’m not a parent, but I like the look of your blog and the content seems to be useful as well. I liked that your header is ‘funny’. Too often on some parenting/self help blogs there seems to be a lot of serious content but right from the start yours seems like something inviting.

      Liked by 5 people

  5. Good morning everyone, Thanks as always Daily Post for the opportunity to connect with other bloggers and share thoughts and ideas.

    Please check out my most recent post from the Old Sacramento Train Museum for fun and interesting train/steam punk photos…

    Sacramento Train Museum in Old Sacramento – Train Nerds Rejoice

    If you would like to weigh in on your preference of paper maps or GPS when traveling click here… http://bulldogtravels.com/2016/01/06/maps-versus-navigation-when-traveling/

    I am always happy to check out new blogs and will certainly check yours out if you take a look at mine.

    Happy Monday Poolers.

    ~Jenny

    Liked by 6 people

    2. It can vary, depending on the content. Most people would do 6 or 7 on a post on average. If you use Twitter or other sites to get your blog out there, you can add more but on WordPress I try to use only about 5 or 6 per post. Just make sure the main part of what you are writing about-fashion, cooking, photography, is always included!

      Liked by 3 people

    3. I try to stick with 5 to 10 tags and usually place a post in 1-2 larger categories. Try to keep the tags broad spectrum enough but still relevant. Though occasionally I throw in a random one just because it makes me giggle, like “awkward hugs”, I know no one is following that tag and isn’t likely to be heavily searched but sometimes its just for me 🙂

      Liked by 4 people

    5. Hi Mary! Check out this post

      https://wordpress.com/dailypost/2015/02/12/tagging-shelf-life/

      It’s got some good stuff.If I see a post I like and that I want my posts to be seen around (always beneficial to hang with the cool kids) I try to see what they use for tags to see if any apply.

      Another trick is to make a post, put a tag on it that you want to experiment with, and then follow the tag in the reader. If your post disappears off the bottom of the list before you can see it then the tag may be a bit too popular. Also, if yours is the only post that shows up (or there are very few posts) it might be not popular enough.

      I wish there was a way to see what tags bloggers have used and how many posts use that tag over time. Maybe the WP Wizards can look at doing that. Wizards, are you listening?

      You want a tag that gets seen but that isn’t so popular (used by so many bloggers) that you disappear in the maelstrom. Hope this helps!

      Liked by 2 people

    6. Hello,
      I think it depends on the content of your blog. But I usually use around 5, 7, or 10. You can look up popular WordPress tags on Google. That’s always helped me. I wish you the best of luck 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    7. I don’t know what a good amount is, but I recently read a good piece of advice in about blogging and other ways of promoting yourself.
      The advice was to think like a person who was searching thinks. It seems obvious, but it really isn’t.
      instead of a tag like “clowns” they suggest you put something down like “clowns doing funny things.” or “hiring a clown”. While this may not apply to who you are trying to attract, the principle is still solid. Think about the kinds of searches you do, and try and match them up. The results might surprise you.

      Liked by 2 people

  8. Soundtrack Of A Photograph makes a connection between the music I love and my own photos. My newest one, One Hit Photos looks at a different sort of photograph from what I normally take, and one of my own favorite one hit wonder songs. What are some of yours?

    One Photo Wonders

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Really nice sketches. I’d definitely lean towards describing the process, inspirations for the work, challenges with materials, etc. I think it gives the viewers more insight into and maybe more connection with what they’re looking at. At least, that’s what I do, and I hope it works. 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

      1. thanks for the feedback, took a look at your blog, I see what you mean. I love that ink drawing and in your sketchbook and the encaustic painting.

        Liked by 2 people

    2. Since you discuss using a limited palette at the beginning of your post, I would continue with that theme throughout, explaining to the readers what the palette was and how you used it. That way, you come full circle with the topic.

      Also, I love “Study of raw octopus.”

      Liked by 2 people

      1. That seems to be the collective answer. Next time I’ll be sure to take some process photos and talk more about the process.
        Painting used to be a struggle for me too, until I took some private lessons from an artist that lived in my area. A few years later it became what made my career. Hopefully sharing my process will make you how enjoyable it can be.

        Liked by 1 person

  12. Greetings lovely swimmers. I put up a new post a few days ago that diverges from my usual humorous tone and would love some feedback. Specifically, do I convey the message effectively and does this kind of departure in tone from the norm detract from the site or enhance it (since its a personal blog and we are not one-sided creatures)?

    Fear Inherent

    If you have comments on the content please feel free to leave them on the post itself. I love me some site interaction! If you have comments on tone or technique, pull up an inner tube by me and let’s have a chat in the pool. Thanks for your time all!

    Liked by 1 person

    2. I think the look of the site is professional and inviting at the same time. As for content, I’m interested. I’m doing my third half on Sunday. Long distance is something I discovered I liked last year and have seriously started to consider a full,so I’m excited to read about your journey.

      Liked by 1 person

    3. I love the look of your blog. It’s very well organized, simple, and elegant. I really enjoyed reading through a few posts and going through your categories. You seem to live quite adventurously which is just awesome 🙂 Keep doing what you’re doing because it’s awesome! Cheers!

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Thank you!! Same over here! I loved your post about getting a 4.0 GPA your first semester of college. I would really love if you made more advice posts for college students. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Hello! I really enjoyed going through your blog. The layout is very clean and crisp. I love your categories as well! You seem very creative and full of fun! I read through a few of your posts and found them to be very engaging. I really liked the hello dad post. I would just like to encourage you to keep doing what you’re doing. I wish you the best of luck 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  18. Happy Monday, Nerds!

    I have a new installment of The Beginner’s Guide to Comicbooking up on the site: http://nerdilyblog.com/2016/01/11/beginners-guide-comicbooking-januarys-pull-list/

    ALSO! I am in need of some assistance. If you are a comic book fan, and have a collection of any size, would you please take a few moments to take my survey? The information gathered from this will help out with an upcoming blog post. Your voice matters! The survey can be found here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1a-2gqgfwh8CiW5gvbRkMsK9X3ks80JRpLplqefR4QmY/viewform

    Thank you!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Wait. You write a post on your blog about not apologizing, but then apologize in your post here. Confusing. I enjoyed the read, although I don’t think an apology is demeaning oneself. I feel that it is a respectful thing to say if for instance, you’ve spilled your drink on someone. If you are referring to someone who is constantly apologizing for everything, then yes, I feel that is a problem. 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    2. I enjoyed your blog. I also enjoyed your writing. You’re very honest and introspective. I can definitely tell you wrote them on high emotions which is good in my opinion because it means it was written when your emotions were fresh and raw. Keep doing what you’re doing mate. The only thing I’d suggest is if you made an About page so that people can connect with your work more personally and know a bit more about you. Other than that, you’re doing great. I wish you the best of luck!

      Liked by 1 person

  20. My latest post, published today, discusses how babies learn to talk. I also explore a controversial debate between linguists on this issue.

    I’d love some feedback, especially from people who have/have had small children, and anyone who is interested in language & linguistics. The human brain and our capacity for speech is pretty amazing! 🙂

    Here’s a link –> The beginnings of language: http://wp.me/p1Bv1X-Sz

    Liked by 3 people

    2. Wow, I am genuinely stunned by the level of professionalism of your blog. Great job. It’s very refreshing to see how you paid much attention to detail. Your posts are fantastic as well! I loved the pictures and the general flow of your writing. Very informative and insightful stuff. Keep up the great work!

      Liked by 2 people

    2. Great blog Kate, you’ve got a new follower (although it was a bit of effort – couldn’t find a way with a laptop, so had to go find the post on my phone in order to do so).

      Always nice to read stories from someone who loves travel as much as we do

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Thanks for the follow! Yeah I noticed that when I made the switch from wordpress.com to self-hosted the easy “follow” button disappeared too. Another way to follow along is by signing up for my newsletter on the sidebar of my site. I’m loving your site and am excited to follow along with all of your travels as well 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  26. Howdy!
    I’m new to WordPress but I think I have what it takes to get noticed. Let me know what you guys think of my blog… I’m very interested in philosophy and tying my own experiences to grander schemes and putting it all down for people to think about and maybe even relate to!!
    A friend told me reading it made him feel uncomfortable. Does anyone else feel that way!?
    Thanks!

    http://www.womantumhowaas.wordpress.com

    Also, do you think the title is catchy or should I change it?? I thought it was unique…

    Liked by 2 people

    2. Hello Hannah,
      I really enjoyed going through your blog! The layout is very simple and elegant which is great. I also hate writer’s block. Lately, I’ve been getting it a lot. I found your writing very engaging and entertaining. You seem like a very fun person haha. I wish you the best of luck and would like to encourage you to keep writing! Cheers 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Wow, thank you!! 😀 It’s such a refreshing thing to experience such encouragement from other writers on WordPress! I’ve actually just taken a look around your blog, too, and I can say the same about yours. The layout is so simple to navigate, but positively striking. Do you use your own photography? It’s breathtaking! (Your writing, by the way…very thought provoking, I must add.) And hahaha! Yes, at the time I guess I handled writer’s block by writing about writer’s block! ;D

        Liked by 2 people

      2. You’re definitely welcome! You deserve it 🙂 And thank you! And yes, I do take my own photos. I think I used one or two on certain posts that wasn’t mine though. I appreciate your comment back 🙂

        Liked by 2 people

  28. Hello everyone. I try to make my blog as interesting as I can, but it’s hard to know how successful you are with any one technique you use to do that. I try to include pictures in every article. I think this is helpful since I write about products, I hope that readers will feel like they know what I’m talking about if they can see it.

    I’m not a professional photographer by any means, so I’d like to know what you guys think of my pictures. Are the well placed within the text? Do they look attractive and/or interesting? Is it really helpful to have an image of what I’m talking about?

    A few of them have come out blurry from motion or being slightly out of focus. I think everyone is their own harshest critic, so I know that these ones bother me a quite a bit, but are they distracting or do they otherwise detract from the rest of what I’ve written?

    Take a look at my blog and let me know what you think: https://ethanol.wordpress.com/
    I make an effort to look at the blogs of anyone that leaves a comment, especially if they’re from here in the Community Pool. Since I’m here to get help, it only seems right to try and give back 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Hey mate,

      I like your blog, quite a cool idea and not something I’ve seen much of before so also fairly unique.

      For the photos – I think it is definitely key to have a photo of each bottle/brand in your posts. It gives people an image to thing about while they’re reading, and also would make it a lot easier to find if they wanted to buy a bottle off the back of reading your blog.

      Liked by 1 person