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by Katy Kauffman  @KatyKauffman28 This special season of autumn ushers in some favorite traditions�sipping on pumpkin spice lattes or hot apple cider, collecting crimson leaves on cool walks in the evening, and dodging spider webs in corn mazes. Why not add a new tradition to your fall calendar? A blog series.  Blogging week after week becomes daunting. It�s hard to come up with new ideas for blog posts in the midst of a busy schedule. Don�t panic. Relieve some of the pressure of blogging weekly by incorporating series into your blogging calendar.   When we write a series on our blogs, we have a plan that relieves anxiety and opens the floodgates of creativity. We can choose the theme, and before we ever start the series, we can brainstorm posts to fit into that theme.  A series can last from three weeks to twelve (or more). Allow yourself some spontaneity by scheduling some �random� posts between the series. Then enjoy a schedule of planned and unplanned topics....

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson It's October and in honor of Halloween, I just couldn't resist a tongue-in-cheek post about something scary. After spending the year traveling and teaching writers about blogging, I have plenty of fears to share. Lest you think this is me pointing fingers, let me reassure you. EVERY single one of the things listed has been something I've done/struggled with at some point.  Remember, none of us is born knowing how to do this stuff. So lets laugh at our phobias together! 9 Scariest Things About Blogging 1. Trying to come up with a title. I know that the title of a blog post has a huge impact on whether someone can find it in a Google search. Truthfully, I spend as much time coming up with a title as I do writing a post.  2. Search Engine Optimization. Once I figured out how to do it, it was easy. But it just sounds super technical and super scary.  3. Worrying that no one will see my post. Growing a blog audience does take time. But when we take t...

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson I love to blog, and I try to share my love of blogging when I teach at writing conferences. I also know that many of you aren�t such fans. Many  try to love blogging because it�s a good way to connect with readers and build an online presence. Others, don�t even try to love it, but do it out of necessity. The rest are like me, and enjoy the process as well as the connections it brings. No matter where you are with blogging, it�s important to do it well. Whether you blog twice a month on a group blog, or daily on your own site, there are some essential dos and don�ts of blogging that I�d like to share today. Blogging is a great way to build relationships with our audience.  But a lot of people forget that, just like building relationship in person, it�s never a good idea to talk so much that others don�t have a chance to share their thoughts.  I often visit blogs where I want to ask the blogger, �Are you blogging or lecturing?� There  ...

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson A little teaching moment...  With the chaos of social media, and the strict guidelines now in place with email, our digital connections have gotten more complicated. But one thing hasn�t change�the ability to be found through an organic search.  This process begins when we know the basics of keywords and SEO. The post I wrote, Get Your Blog Found with SEO and Keyword Basics , will help you get started. Recently I�ve been working with several bloggers about ways to get more organic page views. Organic views happen when someone searches for a topic�either through a search in a search engine or by searching for a topical hashtag. Beyond keywords and SEO, titles and hashtags are critical to getting found.  It may surprise you to learn that it is possible to be found. But as bloggers, we need to deliberately set ourselves us to be found in a topical search. So today we�re specifically looking at the use of hashtags when we share a post on social medi...