A Penny For Your Thoughts?

Nov 1, 2007

If there’s a post you’ve been waiting for me to write, or a question you’ve been dying for me to answer on the blog, now’s the time to be audacious and ask for it!

The comments section of this post will be a forum for you to tell me what you’d like to see here and the problems you want some help with.

If I feel I have something to contribute, and that the suggestion bears relevance to a broad selection of readers, the idea will be turned into a post.

You’ll be quoted in that post, and if you have a site of your own, linked to.

Every suggestion will be read and considered. I’m quite excited to see what you guys come up with!

» Leave a suggestion for Skellie.

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29 Comments, Comment or Ping

Patrick

I’ve sometimes wondered about which website feeds you have in your RSS reader, Skellie….

Also, you mention that you’re interested in women’s issues in your about page. Maybe you could write a post that outlines what an authority blog would be like that deals with women’s issues.

Or I suppose you could get really audacious and just go start that blog as well……

Nov 1st, 2007
Scam

Hi, i’m a new reader here, having found you through your guest post at ProBlogger.

I’d like to see more on building RSS subscriptions as I have 2,000 visitors per day but my subscriber base seems locked around 150.

Nov 1st, 2007
Elliott from ejcross.com

Skellie,

I wonder how you write such great articles! Do you do a lot of research? Where do your ideas come from? What have you done to refine your writing skills?

I think these would be great topics that would benefit all bloggers and writers, no matter what the subject matter.

Nov 1st, 2007
Jamin

Skellie,

Your site has a very appealing design–a clean layout with gorgeous fonts. And your posts are consistently packed with value. I would love to read an article giving us a sneak peak into the tools you use as a blogger, whether it be software, online resources, social media networks, wordpress plugins, etc.

Nov 1st, 2007
Mark

What do you think of reader engagement, Skellie?

I would like you to post your thoughts concerning reader engagement on blogs in general. I would also like you to post your thoughts about us bloggers discussing and developing ways to measure reader engagement on blogs. How should we go about developing metrics to measure reader engagement on blogs? How do we proceed on developing reader engagement metrics with respect to readers using widgets on blogs?

Thank you very much.

I enjoy your blog, and I have also enjoyed your dazzling articles on Problogger.net!!!

Congratulations on your column at Problogger!!

Have an excellent day!!

Nov 1st, 2007
chtanxw

1. I hope to read more stories about those who manage the successful blogs or websites. These stories can inspire and motivate us. You can digg this type of story very well.

2. How to think, write and blog creatively?

3. More “make money online” topics.

Nov 1st, 2007
SB

Ah, of course I have a suggestion.

The differences between problogging (and/ or meta-blogging) and personal blogging.

Differences in:

- writing style
- content
- design
- structure
- expectations

& so on.

Except, of course, I would like this post to be on *my* blog.

Heh.

But I’ll read it, wherever you post it.

Nov 1st, 2007
Evan Hadkins

I’m new to blogging.

So stuff on getting traffic (as with all new bloggers I suppose).

Nov 1st, 2007
redwall_hp

It’s my “two cents”, so why should I only get a penny?

I, too, would like to see more on building subscribers. I’ve been hovering around the 70s for awhile now, with little improvement. My count hops around between 71 and 79, and I’d like to see it grow a bit more.

Nov 1st, 2007
Dave

Hello Ms. Skellie,

I’ve been reading about “article submission sites” for the types of blogs I’m currently publishing.(real estate and travel magazine)

I can’t seem to find a definitive answer about whether the effort to submit to these sites is worthwhile or not.

Some people say you’re just giving the scrapers easier access to your material, while others say the potential backlinks, increased readers etc is worth it.

What do you think?

dave.

Nov 1st, 2007
ChrisB

A while back you mentioned “lyrical” writing as one way to grab readers. Any suggestions on how to develop that skill?

Nov 1st, 2007
Barry

Skellie

I love your blog. I’d like to hear your thoughts on what might be a very basic question:

How to choose a spot along the continuum from traditional site to blog, and whatever points there are in-between. How do I decide which is best …for presenting valuable content, for engaging readers, for monetization?

Ciao

Barry

Nov 2nd, 2007
paidtwice

My suggestion/question would be - ideas on how to encourage clickthroughs on guest posts, and also how to turn that clickthrough into a loyal reader/subscriber?

I have read (and reread) your posts about turning visitors into readers, but the second part of my question is a more targeted audience, the guest post reader.

I have been lucky (and audacious lol) enough to have done a *lot* of guest posts on blogs in my niche, from the small to the large, including one of the biggest blogs in my niche. I have ideas on how to encourage clickthroughs to my blog from those guest posts and some have worked and some, not so much. So maybe my question is the art of writing a great guest post - how to target your guest post at the blog’s audience and encourage them to want to read more from you (ie clickthrough).

thanks

Nov 2nd, 2007
nasir

I am a new blogger and want to read some things about traffic generating and i want to turn my blog traffic into some money.
i got presently 150-200 visits on a day and i want that it should reach to 500-600 in one or two month. can i got some help from you skellie?

Nov 2nd, 2007
Amber

I’ve loved your articles so far, but I’m wondering about how one with a more personal blog would receive more RSS subscribers. I feel a lot of tips don’t apply to me because of this aspect.

Nov 2nd, 2007
Mason Hipp

Hi Skellie,

I’d love to hear your thoughts about subordinating certain types of content (either through color and design or JavaScript trickery).

I am, as you probably know, a huge proponent of simplicity and usability in designs. Simplicity, however, comes at the cost of removing information. In most cases, this information is not valuable (so it’s good that it’s gone).

But, there are also times when some of that information is used (even loved) by a small percentage of readers. In these cases, I think subordinating the content can keep it available for the few, while removing the distraction for the many.

Anyhow, I think I might just go ahead and write a post about this on my blog (seeing as I’ve already written 3/4s of it), but I’d still love to hear your thoughts and ideas.

- Mason

Nov 2nd, 2007
Anthony Lawrence

I’d like to hear your thoughts on video blogging. I recently had a epiphany when I realized there are a whole bunch of people that just do not like to read, and a whole bunch of subjects where emotion conveyed through facial expression and inflection is very important. With that in mind, I’ve made some tentative steps toward adding a YouTube post to be a companion to my ordinary posts - not just me reading that piece, but maybe a summation or a look at the subject from a different slant..

My only fear is that I’m so bad at the video production side is that I might turn off potential readers, but that just doesn’t seem very likely - I think at least right now that people tend to be very forgiving of amateur video efforts - I know I am.

Nov 2nd, 2007
skellie

Hi all — I’ve read all the suggestions here and it has been great reading. I can see a few posts forming already!

Keep them coming, if you can

Nov 2nd, 2007
Glenn

What tips or ideas do you have to get the creative juices flowing?

What do you do when you find yourself staring at the empty text box, fingers on the keyboard, and nothing comes out?

Nov 2nd, 2007
pablopabla

I can’t help but to ask you to write this Skellie:-

“A day in the life of Skellie”.

I mean, I’ve been following your blog for sometime already (was it August?) and I have been amazed at your resourcefulness and information which you churn out at this blog (and now, at other blogs). Are bloggers like you human? Really, with all the other things you need to do besides blogging (and reading blogs), how do you actually spend your day (and time) putting up all these irresistible posts?

Please tell us that you are a normal human being like all of us and that Darren Rowse met a normal human being

Nov 2nd, 2007
tushtush

Hi Skellie,
I just love your blog. I’d love to get some advice on approaching sponsors.
regards.

Nov 2nd, 2007
Pete W

Something I’ll post on myself at some point, when I get round to writing it:
What are the quotes that inspire you? Every good writer has a list, and I know you do too :p

Nov 2nd, 2007
Bernhard

Dear Skellie;

1) Thanks for the viral post ideas for my Austrian cooking website.

2) This - A penny for your thoughts - post of yours is just absolutely one of the best ideas you have come up with in the past. The thoughts of your readers are such an invaluable resource for both, us, the readers and website owners, and you, the creator.

3) Your articles are in fact very very useful for us, but the best about it is, they are easiest digestable.

4) Me too would like to hear your opinion about article submission.

5) Thanks a ton for skelliewag.org

Bernhard

Nov 3rd, 2007
Ravi Vora

If you only had 2 hours a day, what would you do to drive traffic besides blogging?

Nov 3rd, 2007
skellie

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to leave a note to say that I’ve been reading and enjoying the suggestions. I won’t be able to reply to everyone but rest assured that your suggestion has been read :).

Nov 3rd, 2007
Chanya

Here are some potential post topics:

1. 10 Wordpress Plugins You Can’t Do Without

2. 2 HTML Editors That Take The Pain Out of Posting

3. Join the Party and Do Some Social Networking: 5 Sites to Use

Nov 5th, 2007
Damien

Hi Skellie,

Your blog is great. I really love it.

What I want to know is how do you approach other bloggers and request to post your articles on their blogs? For your info, I found your blog through copyblogger.com.

Nov 6th, 2007