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Weekend Blogging Tips

Most bloggers notice a drop in traffic on the weekends, and that’s natural: less people are online, less people are seeking information, on weekends. For that reason, many bloggers don’t post at all on weekends. But a lot of us- myself included- do blog on weekends. I do it mostly to prepare posts for the coming week, because it usually means the latter will be a lot less hectic for me. Feel like being a weekend blogger? Here are some tips:

Use the weekend for planning and drafting posts.

A useful tip especially for professional bloggers, who must turn out a certain number of posts during the week. With less distractions, and generally less going on online, weekends are perfect for researching material for your posts. It’s also a good time to discover interesting posts you might have missed in the past week- I’ve discovered many new posts- as well as blogs I never knew existed- on lazy weekends, simply by browsing through blogs I already subscribe to.

The weekend is great for scheduled posts.

If you’ve completed planning and drafting, and are ready to post but afraid no one will be around to read what you wrote, why not schedule the post for the upcoming week instead? Most, if not all, blogging platforms offer scheduled posts, and it’s easy to do once you know how.

Despite less traffic, people are still online.

Yes, the Internet is quieter on weekends, but there are definitely still people online- and if these people are in your niche, then you just might see a nice jump in traffic on weekends. For example, food blogs usually get visited on weekends by people searching for recipes to try out on weekends, or for dinner parties they might be throwing. Another thing to consider would be a “Weekend Roundup” of your favorite posts or links from the previous week.

Do you blog on weekends?

Five Ways to Tweak a WordPress Theme


Ah, free WordPress themes. I’m convinced they’re one of the biggest reasons WordPress is the most popular blogging platform today. From one-column minimalism to grid-based magazine layouts, photoblogging styles to made-for-Adsense themes, there are free WordPress themes for every taste- just download, install and activate!

But to set your blog apart, you’ll want to tweak that theme- and when I say tweak, I mean make small changes here and there. To make these tweaks to your theme of choice, a tool like the Firebug extension for Firefox can be very handy- but, really, any text editor will do.

  1. Tweak your header
    Usually the first place new visitors will look, and a good place to start. Some themes include “theme options” pages that show up when you’ve activated the theme, and others include banner photos or graphics that can easily be replaced with your own. If you’re using the default WordPress theme Kubrick, the aptly named Kubrickr will automatically find photos on Flickr for you to customize your header with. To get more in-depth, I recommend reading through WordPress’ official codex page on Designing Headers.
  2. Play with your widgets
    Most WordPress theme designers “widgetize” their themes, and for good reason: widgets are probably the quickest way to personalize a WordPress theme. Built-in widgets, available in every fresh installation of WordPress, include widgets for displaying your Archives, Calendar, Recent Comments and so forth- and And if the theme you love isn’t widgetized, you can do it yourself.
  3. Experiment with color
    Even slight changes to the colors on your site can have a big impact. Online tools such as the Color Scheme Designer can keep you busy for hours, or you can check out pre-made color schemes at sites like colr.org and GenoPal.
  4. Change your fonts
    We used to have just two choices when it came to web fonts: serif or sans-serif. Today, we have methods like sIFR and FLIR, which replace your fonts using Flash, the newish Cufon, which doesn’t require Flash, and CSS3’s @font-face, which works by downloading the specified fonts.
  5. Personalize your About page
    This one, which requires no CSS tweaking at all, just might be the most important way of all. Tweaking your About page, the only page that comes pre-built with WordPress, is where you can truly let your personality shine through. A photo of yourself is always good, but you should feel free to add anything here that shows the world- or your readers, at least- who you are. You can read more about tweaking your About page in a previous post of mine.

Of course, we’ve only barely scratched the surface of the ways you can tweak your WordPress theme. For more ways, the WordPress Codex is an excellent place to start.

Hosting Your Business Blog

Choosing the right web host for a blog is important. When it’s your business blog, it can be crucial. You definitely don’t want your current and prospective clients and customers being greeted by an error message when they try to access your blog. Here, my top tips for finding a good web host for your business blog:

Pay for it.

Yes, there are some fabulous free blog hosting services out there, and in fact some of the services I’m about to recommend also offer free plans- but while those are fine for personal blogs, you do want the control that a paid plan gives you.

Go tried and true.

For the least headaches, use one of the hosting services that are made for blogs. WordPress.com, for example, is hosted WordPress that’s run by Automattic. Typepad is by Six Apart, the makers of Moveable Type. These companies are experts in the blogging industry, so they’re your best bets for managing your blog platform. They also usually have wonderful communities (forums, user groups, etc.) filled with other bloggers who are very helpful.

Use your own domain name.

The average cost of buying your own domain name is around $10 a year. This is affordable (I remember when it was $35 a year!) and a must for any business online. If you already have a domain name you use for your business (e.g. waldoswinches.com), you can use a subdomain for your blog (e.g. blog.waldoswinches.com) or get a new domain name just for your blog (e.g. waldoswinchesblog.com). Make sure to use your own domain for your email address, as well- it’s a little embarrassing to use a free email address (yahoo.com, aol.com, gmail.com, etc.) on your business cards.

Research web hosts.

If you decide not to go with a blog hosting service, and would rather go with your own server, VPS or shared account with a web host, please do some research first. A good place to start is Web Hosting Talk, where you can search for reviews on different web hosts. Or you can consider using one of these hosts- all of which I’ve tried, and highly recommend:

  • WiredTree – I’ve been using them for close to three years now, with zero problems. Customer support is blazing fast.
  • HostGator – Another good one, I’ve used them for my smaller hosting needs. Quick service, and a good customer forum.
  • MediaTemple – Some of the biggest names in business are hosted with MediaTemple, and with good reason. They’ve been around for a while, and have a great (read= stable!) infrastructure, although I’ve found that their customer service isn’t as quick as the two hosts I mention above.
  • Colorteck – Owned by the publisher of this blog (& where we’re hosted), you’ll get really fast, solid and personal service that the bigger companies don’t offer. Contact Will Vacher: will[at]colorteck[dot]com and tell him that you are a Biz Logs reader for a 20% discount off quoted rates.

At the end of the day, you want a host that you don’t have to think about, or even contact much once your blog is up and running.

Three Conferences for Business Bloggers

The truth is: there are no bad conferences. Yes, I’ve been to my share of conferences that bored the bejeezuz out of me, but I’m a firm believer that you can take away something positive from every conference. It starts, of course, by choosing the right conference to attend.

I recommend these Blog Conferences specifically for business bloggers. If you’re just getting started in business blogging, attending one of these is a great way to get your feet wet- and, of course, for both beginners and pros, they offer valuable networking opportunities:

Blog World Expo

Why?:
As the world’s largest blog conference, this is the first one to look at. We’re talking hundreds of people, bloggers who have been doing this for years, as well as celebrity bloggers and devoted readers.

When & Where?:
This year (2009), the conference runs from October 15 to 17 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

How much?:
A full-access pass will cost you anywhere from $895 to $1195, depending on whether you register early enough. Also available are weekend passes ($395-$495), exhibits & parties passes ($175-$225), and exhibits only passes ($75-$100). Check out the Blog World Expo pricing page for more information and to register.

Web 2.0 Summit

Why?:
Don’t let the name throw you off, this blog conference is known to feature some of the best names in technology. It’s a little pricey, but is a great choice for anyone who’s serious about doing business online.

When & Where?:
This year (2009), the Web 2.0 Summit runs from October 20 to 22 at The Westin San Francisco Market Street in San Francisco, California.

How much?:
The standard price (if you purchase a spot from now until October 19) is $4195. After that (on site) it’s $4395. This includes access to all workshops, on site events, and breakfast and lunch for each day of the conference. For more information, visit the official Web 2.0 Summit pricing page.

BlogHer Business

Why?:
Women business bloggers (such as myself!) should seriously consider attending this one- and male business bloggers should, as well. This is a smaller conference (they’re keeping it to around 200 attendees), and focuses on the best practices of reaching women online.

When & Where?:
BlogHer Business 2010 happens on August 5th at the Hilton Hotel in New York.

How much?:
Current “earlybird pricing” (up to March 2010) is at $499 plus a $9.95 fee. This includes all meals, programming, and a cocktail reception. For more details and to register, visit their registration site.

How NOT to use Twitter: A Guide for Businesses

So, Twitter is huge. Millions of people, numbers of sign-ups off the charts, celebrities tweeting, talk of it killing blogging– it’s clear that if you want your company to have a good online presence, you’d better get on Twitter.

Most businesses not only understand this, but understand how to use Twitter to their advantage. Online marketplace Etsy, for example, regularly tweets about upcoming promotions and deals, and responds to customers right away via Twitter. Starbucks, the company from whom I purchased the coffee I’m drinking while writing this post, also uses Twitter wisely, responding almost immediately to their followers and posting information that any Starbucks customer would find interesting.

And then there are the businesses that get it wrong. I’m not naming anyone in particular, but you see these every day: Twitter business accounts that put up their logo, fill out their profile, then proceed to post nothing but junk. They may gain followers, but aren’t using Twitter to their full benefit. If you use Twitter for your business, here are some Do’s and Don’ts for you:

Do not post pure marketing tweets.
Something we see way too often: a page of a business’ tweets containing nothing but “We are the best! Visit us now at http://blahblah..” over and over again, in different wordings. Really, what’s the point? If someone is taking the time to read your tweet, offer them something useful. A discount code, perhaps, or a link to a special deal, if you want to promote a product.

Do sound like a real person.
People like talking to other people, not machines. If your Tweets don’t sound like a real person wrote them, you’re in danger of losing touch with your customers. And speaking of being in touch with your customers…

Do reply to tweets.
Whenever someone sends you an @reply, remember that there’s a real live person, possibly a customer or client, behind it. Don’t ignore these- and especially don’t ignore direct messages.

Do give your Twitter profile some personality.
Take the time to customize your business’ Twitter profile with a nice background and colors that reflect your company.

If you do use Twitter, do use Twitter.
That is, make it known to everyone that your business is on Twitter. Put a Twitter button on your website or blog, add a link to your email, put the URL on your business card and company brochure.

Do plan your strategy.
Read through Twitter’s official 101 for Business, have a look at their best practices, and develop a strategy for using Twitter to your business’ full advantage.

Finally, have fun with Twitter. It’s a powerful tool, but it’s also meant to be a fun and easy to use tool, which is why it’s become so popular.

Do you have tips for using Twitter for business?