Showing posts with label Blogging ideas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blogging ideas. Show all posts

Wednesday

Why to start pinning (again)

Why start pinning

Whether you’re brand new to Pinterest or returning after a long break, pinning in 2025 can be a gentle, creative way to share your story, grow your reach, or simply find joy in visual expression. 

Living with chronic illness, fibromyalgia, and brain fog means I have to be careful where I spend my spoons—and Pinterest has become one of the few platforms that feels low-pressure but still meaningful. It’s a quiet space where I can share my story, grow my reach, and help others. No hustle, no noise—just simple visuals, gentle impact, and a pace that respects my body and brain.

Why Pinning Can Be a Gentle Win in 2025

Pinterest isn’t just for pretty pictures—it’s a quiet, powerful way to share your voice, grow your blog or business, and connect with people who need what you offer. And the best part? You don’t need to hustle. You just need a few simple tools and a rhythm that works for you.

What to Know (Without Overwhelm)

  • Fresh pins = more visibility Pinterest loves new images. Even one new pin a week can help people find your fibro blog.

  • Keywords matter Think of Pinterest like Google but with pictures. Use simple words people might search for (like “easy gluten-free meals” or “gentle yoga for pain”).

  • Consistency helps You don’t need to pin daily. Just aim for a few pins a week. I use Pinterest scheduler which is free. You just upload the pin you have created there. Tools like Tailwind can also schedule them for you so you don’t have to think about it.

How to Make Pins That Look Good

  • Use vertical images Pinterest likes tall pins (1000x1500 pixels). Canva has free templates that make this so easy.

  • Keep it simple One clear image + short text (5–8 words) is enough. Think: “Gentle Morning Routine” or “Fibro-Friendly Recipes.”

  • Readable fonts Use bold, easy-to-read fonts. Avoid fancy cursive. High contrast (dark text on light background or white text on a dark background) is best.

  • Soft colors work Muted tones like lavender, beige, or soft green feel calming and are trending.

  • Add a gentle Call To Action in the pin description, when pinning it. Something like “Save this for later” or “Click for the full guide” helps people engage.

Getting Found (Without Stress)

  • Use keywords in your pin title and description Example: “Gentle Yoga for Fibromyalgia – Save this pin!”

  • Add 2–5 hashtags Like #ChronicIllnessSupport or #FibroTips. Skip generic ones like #love.

  • Pin to the right boards Create boards with clear names like “Chronic Illness Tips” or “Fibro Tips.”

Keep It Fresh. 

I find creating pins and sharing them on Pinterest a great activity when I have too much brain fog to write a new blog post. 

  • Make 2–3 pins for each blog post or product Change the image or text slightly. Spread them out over time.
  • Update old content Refresh older posts with new pins. It counts as “fresh” to Pinterest.

  • Avoid spammy behavior Don’t pin the same image over and over. Pinterest prefers variety.

Tools That Do the Heavy Lifting

  • Canva: Free, easy design templates.

  • Tailwind: Schedules pins for you, finds the best times to post, and even creates pins with AI.

  • Grok: For deeper insights and smarter content ideas.

What to Pin

  • Helpful guides: “5 Ways to Ease Morning Pain”

  • Inspiration: “My Healing Space Setup”

  • Products/services: “Gentle Skincare for Sensitive Bodies”

  • Personal stories: “What I’ve Learned Living with Fibro”

  • Seasonal tips: “Holiday Survival Tips for Spoonies”

Try, Tweak, Repeat

  • Use Pinterest’s built-in analytics to see what’s working.

  • Refresh pins that do well with new colors or headlines.

  • Let go of what doesn’t resonate. You’re allowed to pivot.

Guide to Creating a Pin from a Blog Post Using Canva

  • Log into Canva: Open Canva (canva.com) and sign in or create a free account.

  • Select a Template: Click “Create a design,” choose “Pinterest Pin” (1000x1500 px), and pick a template that fits your blog’s style.

  • Upload Your Image: Click “Uploads,” add a key image from your blog post, and drag it onto the canvas. If you do not already have an image use "Element" in Canva to find or create one. 

  • Add Text: Use the “Text” tool to insert your blog title or a catchy phrase, keeping it short and bold for readability.

  • Incorporate Branding: Add your website URL or name or blog logo placing it subtly at the bottom.

  • Customize Design: Adjust colors, fonts, and layout to match your blog’s theme using Canva’s tools.

  • Download the Pin: Click “Share” > “Download,” select PNG or JPG, and save to your device.

  • Pin to Pinterest: Open Pinterest, click the “+” icon, select “Create Pin,” upload the file, add your blog link, title, description, and choose a board.

  • Schedule or Publish: Set a pin schedule or publish immediately to share with your audience.

 Final Thought

Pinning doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s a quiet way to share the wisdom and work on your blog, build visibility, and help others who need your voice find you. Start small. Let the tools do the heavy lifting. And remember: your story is worth sharing. Just look at all the things you already have on your blog that need sharing. 

Why start pinning (again)


Thursday

Why Hashtags Matter for #Fibromyalgia & #ChronicIllness on X

Living with fibromyalgia or any chronic illness can feel isolating—but hashtags are more than just metadata. They’re lifelines. 

Hashtags for Fibromyalgia on X


To maximize visibility for fibromyalgia and chronic illness articles written by people living with fibromyalgia on X, use hashtags that are popular, relevant, and commonly used within the chronic illness and fibromyalgia communities.

Here's how to use them to connect, advocate, and be heard. 👇

1️⃣ #Fibromyalgia The go-to tag for everything from symptoms to support. Use it to share your story, raise awareness, or find others who truly get it.

2️⃣ #Spoonie A beloved term in the chronic illness world. It’s not just a hashtag—it’s an identity. If you live with limited energy, this one’s for you.

3️⃣ #ChronicIllnessWarrior Because surviving daily pain is no small feat. This tag celebrates strength, resilience, and the fight for visibility.

4️⃣ #InvisibleIllness Not all pain is visible. This hashtag helps challenge stigma and educate others about what they can’t see.

5️⃣ #FibroFlare Use this to describe those tough days when symptoms spike. It’s a way to vent, find empathy, and track patterns.

Tip: Combine 3–5 hashtags per post. Mix broad ones like #ChronicPain with niche ones like #FibroLife to reach both communities and curious readers.

Hashtags aren’t just for reach—they’re for recognition. They help turn your lived experience into a voice others can find, follow, and feel seen by.

Here’s a curated list of the most effective and widely used hashtags on X (formerly Twitter) for articles written by people living with fibromyalgia and chronic illness. These hashtags help amplify visibility, connect with supportive communities, and engage readers who resonate with lived experiences. Based on current trends and community engagement, here are some of the best hashtags to use:

Top Hashtags for Fibromyalgia

These are commonly used by those sharing personal stories, advocacy, and resources:

  • #Fibromyalgia

  • #Fibro

  • #FibroWarrior (while some may not like to be identified as a warrior, this is widely used)

  • #FibromyalgiaWarrior

  • #FibroLife

  • #FibroAwareness

  • #FibromyalgiaAwareness

  • #LivingWithFibro

  • #FibroCommunity

  • #FibroFlare

  • #FibroStrong

Top Hashtags for Chronic Illness

Great for broader reach and where content can have diverse angles:

  • #ChronicIllness

  • #ChronicPain

  • #ChroniLife

  • #InvisibleIllness

  • #Spoonie (widely used by people with chronic conditions)

  • #SpoonieLife

  • #ChronicFatigue

  • #AutoimmuneDisease

  • #DisabilityAwareness

  • #ChronicIllnessWarrior

  • #ChronicPainWarrior

  • #ChronicIllnessAwareness

Mental Health & Emotional Support Tags

These are especially useful if your articles touch on emotional resilience or mental health:

  • #MentalHealth

  • #Anxiety

  • #Depression

  • #HealingJourney

  • #SelfCare

 Tips for Using Hashtags on X

  • Mix niche and broad tags: Combine specific ones like #FibroFlare with broader ones like #ChronicIllness.

  • Limit to 3–5 per post: X favors concise tagging for engagement.

  • Engage with the community: Like, reply, and retweet others using similar hashtags to build visibility.

Share your favorite hashtags in the comments. Let’s build a thread of support 💜👇 #FibroCommunity #SpoonieLife #DisabilityAwareness #MentalHealth

Why Hashtags Matter for Fibromyalgia & Chronic Illness on X


Saturday

Health Awareness Days for 2022

Here is a list of health awareness days, weeks, and months for 2022 put together for us by the beautiful blogger Barbara who blogs at Back Pain Blog UK. Barbara is a prolific health blogger who writes an article almost each and every day about a variety of health topics including Fibromyalgia, Alternative Therapies, Chronic Pain, and Back Pain.

So here, all in one place, is everything you need to know about health awareness for each month in 2022.

Please keep in mind that many of the links go to worldwide awareness campaign sites and that others may take you to UK sites as Barbara is based in the UK. Your country may have different sites available for these days and in some cases different dates or even months.

Health Awareness Days for 2022

JANUARY…

DRY JANUARY – 1st - 31st January 

LOVE YOUR LIVER MONTH – 1ST – 31ST January

INTERNATIONAL PAGET’S AWARENESS DAY – 11th January

CERVICAL CANCER PREVENTION WEEK – 17TH – 23TH January

NATIONAL BLOOD DONOR MONTH – 1ST- 31st January

GOOD CARE MONTH 1st - 31st January

BLUE MONDAY – 17th January

NATIONAL HUG DAY – 21st January


February Health Awareness Days for 2022

FEBRUARY…

CONGENITAL HEART DEFECT AWARENESS DAY –  14th February

TINNITUS AWARENESS WEEK – 7th – 13th February

NATIONAL HEART MONTH 1st- 28th February

RARE DISEASE DAY – 28th February

WORLD CANCER DAY – 4th February

TIME TO TALK DAY – 3rd February

EATING DISORDERS AWARENESS WEEK - 28th February – 6th March

 

March Health Awareness Days for 2022

MARCH…

PROSTRATE CANCER AWARENESS MONTH – 1st – 31st March

OVARIAN CANCER AWARENESS MONTH – 1st – 31st March

BRAIN AWARENESS WEEK – 14th – 20th  March

NO SMOKING DAY – 9th March

WORLD SLEEP DAY – 19th March

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF HAPPINESS – 20th March

WORLD ORAL HEALTH DAY – 20th March

 

April Health Awareness Days for 2022

APRIL…

BOWEL CANCER AWARENESS MONTH – 1st – 30th April

STRESS AWARENESS MONTH – 1st – 30th April

WALK TO WORKDAY – 1st April

EARTH DAY – 22nd April

WORLD HEALTH DAY – 7TH April

MS AWARENESS WEEK – 18TH – 24TH April

IBS AWARENESS MONTH – 1ST – 30TH April

 

May Health Awareness Days for 2022

MAY…

SPINAL CORD INJURY AWARENESS DAY – 14th May

WORLD ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS DAY - 7th May

WORLD RED CROSS DAY - 8th May

INTERNATIONAL ME AWARENESS DAY – 12th May

ACTION ON STROKE MONTH – 1st – 31st May

WORLD FIBROMYALGIA AWARENESS DAY -  12th May

WORLD FIBROMYALGIA AWARENESS MONTH – May

SPONDYLOARTHRITIS (SpA) AWARENESS MONTH - May

NATIONAL OSTEOPOROSIS MONTH – 1ST – 31st May

DEAF AWARENESS WEEK – 4th – 9th May

WORLD LUPUS DAY – 10th May

ARTHRITIS CARE AWARENESS WEEK – 14th – 21st May

INTERNATIONAL NURSES DAY – 12th May

ACTION ON STROKE MONTH – 1ST – 31st May

MENTAL HEALTH WEEK – 13th – 20th May

WORLD MS AWARENESS DAY – 30th May

 

June Health Awareness Days for 2022

JUNE…

MEN'S HEALTH WEEK – 13th – 19th June

SCOLIOSIS AWARENESS DAY – 1st  June

SCOLIOSIS AWARENESS MONTH – 1st June – 30th June

NATIONAL CARERS WEEK – 7th - 13th June

WORLD BLOOD DONOR DAY – 14th June

DIABETES AWARENESS WEEK – 10th - 17th June

July Health Awareness Days for 2022

 JULY…

SARCOMA AWARENESS MONTH – 1st July - 31st July

SAMARITANS AWARENESS MONTH – 1st July - 31st July

GLAD TO CARE WEEK – 5th July – 11th July

 

August Health Awareness Days for 2022

AUGUST

CYCLE TO WORK DAY – 15th  August

CBD AWARENESS DAY 8th August

 

September 2022 Health Awareness Days

SEPTEMBER…

WORLD SUICIDE PREVENTION DAY – 10th September

PAIN AWARENESS MONTH – 1st – 30th September

MIGRAINE AWARENESS WEEK – 5th – 11th September

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AWARENESS WEEK – 13th – 19th September

KNOW YOUR NUMBER AWARENESS WEEK – 6th  – 12th  September

WORLD LYMPHOMA DAY – 15th September

EUROPEAN MOBILITY AWARENESS WEEK – 16th – 23rd  September

BALANCE AWARENESS WEEK – 12th – 18th  September

ORGAN DONATION AWARENESS WEEK – 20th – 26th September

WORLD REFLEXOLOGY WEEK – 20th – 26th September

WORLD ALZHEIMERS DAY – 21st September

WORLD HEART DAY – 29th September

CLEAN AIR DAY – 7th September

 

October Health Awareness Days for 2022

OCTOBER…

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH – 1st – 31st October

NATIONAL CHOLESTEROL MONTH – 1st – 31st October

LUPUS AWARENESS MONTH – 1st – 31st October

BACKCARE AWARENESS WEEK – 3rd – 7th  October

NATIONAL BONE AND JOINT WEEK – 12th – 20th October

WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY – 10th October

WORLD SPINE DAY – 16th October

RESTART & HEART DAY – 16th  October

WORLD OSTEOPOROSIS DAY – 20th October

BREAST CANCER NOW WEAR IT PINK DAY – 23rd October

WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY – 10th October

 

Health Awareness Days for November  2022

NOVEMBER…

LUNG CANCER AWARENESS MONTH – 1st – 31st November

PANCREATIC CANCER AWARENESS MONTH – 1st – 31st November

WHITE RIBBON DAY – 25th November

WORLD DIABETES DAY – 14th November

DISABILITY HISTORY MONTH – 18th November – 18th December

WORLD COPD DAY - 18th November


Health Awareness Days for December 2022

DECEMBER…

WORLD AIDS DAY – 1st December

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES – 3rd December

INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEERS DAY – 5th December

HUMAN RIGHTS DAY – 10th December

 Many thanks to Barbara at 

BACK PAIN BLOG UK…

LIVING LIFE IN CHRONIC PAIN – The latest news on health, lifestyle, wellbeing, treatments, reviews and tips on chronic pain. 

Health Awareness Days



Thursday

7 inspiring quotes about accepting chronic illness

quotes about accepting chronic illness

Over the years I have been collecting quotes that inspire me on this chronic illness journey and I hope you may find them helpful to you as well.  I especially like the first quote because it is so simple and to the point.

Please feel free to use or share these images however you wish. Today I am sharing the quotes on acceptance.

Acceptance is often confused with the notion of being OKAY with what has happened. This is not the reality. Most people don’t ever feel okay about having a chronic illness, like fibromyalgia. But we come to a place where we can accept our new reality. We learn to live with our new normal.  

I resisted this new norm for years, and tried to maintain my life as it was before I became ill. This made life very difficult, frustrating and exhausting. 

Then I came to the realization that I had to readjust. I asked for help and reorganized my daily life to be more in tune with how I could now live. I listened to my needs and the needs of those with whom I lived. I reached out and made new friends. I started to reach out to others and became involved in their lives. I changed, grew and evolved all because of the process of acceptance. 

I can never give up hope of a cure, but I could not begin to live again until I accepted my condition. 


 7 Quotes to inspire
Perfection is out of the question. ~ Ann Archer

 7 Quotes to inspire
I take a simple view of living. It is to keep your eyes open and get on with it. ~ Sir Laurence Olivier

 7 Quotes to inspire
If you can't get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you'd best teach it to dance. ~ George Bernard Shaw.

 7 Quotes to inspire
Difficulties in life are intended to make us better, not bitter. ~ Dan Reeves

 7 Quotes to inspire
There is always a certain peace in being what one is, in being that completely. ~ Ugo Betti

 7 Quotes to inspire
Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. ~ James A. Baldwin

 7 Quotes to inspire
We can let our circumstances rule us, or we can take charge and rule our lives from within. ~ Earl Nightingdale

How to promote your blog post

How to promote your blog post


Sometimes we are shy to sing our own praises and promote ourselves.

When you put so much time and effort into your blog this is not a sensible way to be.

Just for fun, I am suggesting we give the following a try...

Why not see how far you can boost one, just one, post?

WHY? - To drive traffic to your post and build awareness of your blog.

HOW?
- Pick a post of yours, that you think is really good, and promote it like mad.

Get out of your comfort zone and share it more than you usually would.

Here are my suggestions:
  • Share it on all your social media more than once. 
  • Send an email about it to your email list. 
  • Write to someone who you think may be interested in publishing it eg The Mighty. 
  • Share it on the Sunday Sharathon in our private facebook group. 
  • Share it all again... 
  • Check your numbers and see what impact you have made... decide was it worth it and will you do this again?? 
I think you may find that you get many more views to your post than you normally do if you spend at least as much time promoting your posts as you do writing them.

I hope you use these strategies to increase visibility, engagement, and ultimately drive more traffic to your blog. Let me know what happens when you do promote your blog post in these ways.

Assessing an increase in viewers is easy and straightforward, but building awareness of your blog can be more challenging to measure. However, with the right strategies in place, you can improve visibility and attract more readers.

It would be great to hear back from you, in the comments, if these tactics work for you.

Wednesday

Monetize Your Blog

Monetize Your Blog
Many people will tell you to follow their formula and you will make money from your blog but I do not think there is a one size fits all approach. There are just so many variables such as what topic you are blogging about and how many readers you have and if those readers are buyers and if you are well-liked and if your product is what they are looking for...

I think it is a matter of trying an idea to see what works for you and if it does not work then try something else. In my experience AdSense only really works if you get huge amounts of traffic to your blog so I have not even included it in the list of ways to monetize your blog.

It is probably the same for advertising banners - they may bring you some small income but is it enough for the fact that you are bombarding your audience with ads. Most people ignore ads, (They even have a name for it - Banner Blindness) and these ads take them off your site?  Is it worth it?
What are you blogging for is a big question for me. It boils down to helping people and connecting with people and I don't think banner ads do either of those things.

So here are some monetization strategies to explore:

1. Coaching
2. Create an online course
3. Write a book
4. Create an online summit
5. Create a membership site
6. Create a Resource page on your blog
7. Get sponsors
8. Crowd Funding
9. A PayPal Donate Button
10. Become a ghostwriter or a freelance writer.
11. Be an affiliate.
12. Pay for a course and follow the advice.

1. Coaching: Yaro Starak is one of my mentors and he believes that the quickest way that everyone can make money is to be a coach. You can coach through emails, skype or phone. His attitude is that you always know something more than other people if you choose your area of expertise well. Those people are the clients that you should then gear your posts to. Be an authority in your chosen area and write posts to attract those people that you can help.

RESOURCES: Clarity is a site that allows you to become an expert, talk to your clients online, have a promo on their website, and get a widget for your blog.

2. Create an online course: Finding out what your readers want is crucial to be able to sell an online course. One thing I have found extremely useful is to survey your current readers. You can do this in an informal way, in your comments, in your emails, on your social media or in a more formal way using a tool like SurveyMonkey. I recommend them as I love free tools and I also love the way they analyze your surveys with graphs and it is very clear to see your results and then get ideas. If you want to create a course or book and you are not sure the topic, do a survey, see that 50 people want the course on teaching your child to be potty trained (if you are in the parenting niche) and only 10 wanted the course on fussy eaters then you know which course to create.

RESOURCES: Teachable helps you create and sell online courses.

3. Write a book.
The easiest book to create is an ebook because you have everything you need already to do so - a computer that allows you to turn a document into a PDF.

RESOURCES: Self Publishing on Amazon made easy by Christopher Fielden

4. Create an online summit. These can be podcasts or videos from experts in a field around a specific topic. They are usually a series that starts out for free and then turns into an optin payment to get access to all the videos.
To truly succeed at a virtual summit launch, you need to make it a win/win for the experts who will share their knowledge.Choose a topic that will inspire people to action, and make sure you have a product to sell at the backend. NEIL PATEL
5. Create a membership site. This relies on having a lot of information and resources that your readers want from you. The key is having something that people will not be able to find easily elsewhere for free or that they want to hear from you and how you do things.

6. Create a Resource page on your blog. A page where you recommend things that you love and that you have affiliate links to. This should relate to your niche. Here is an example.

7. Get sponsors. In the past sponsors have approached me and they all seemed to want the same thing - my unique visitors, where my visitors are, my social media numbers and my email list numbers. (they obviously do their research) So if you are thinking of looking for sponsors I would suggest getting your numbers up in these areas. This can be hard work.

8. Crowd Funding: Go Fund Me or a similar site. This works for some people if they have a project in mind and explain it well people may give you money. The site takes a small percentage of the funds you raise. Seth Godin, Marketing writer,  has funded some of his books this way, very quickly.

9. A PayPal Donate Button. This relies on the generosity of your readers. But if you don't try, you won't know. By offering them something they may donate eg a checklist. You need a PayPal Business account and PayPal show you here how to add the button and customize it.

10. Become a ghostwriter or a freelance writer. This is not really making money from your blog but using your blog, as part of your bio, to display your writing skills. There are many blogs and websites looking for writers. One place you can get work is Up work or Fiverr both of which are very reliable and have been around for ages. You can also see jobs at Pro Bloggers Job Board. Be sure to read their Tips For Applying Safely Online.

11. Be an affiliate. This in its most basic form is recommending products. Hopefully, products that you like and really want to recommend. If someone clicks your link to the product and buys, you earn a commission. You could start with Amazon, which pays a very small percentage, or look on sites like ShareASale or ClickBank for specific products in your niche, that offer higher reimbursements. You need to find a product you like then drive traffic to it. The good thing about affiliate marketing is that you do not have to fulfill the orders or deal with the returns.

12. Pay for a course and follow the advice. Choose an expert that suits you and follow their advice to the letter. Following is a small list of people who I recommend because I've followed them for years, read their posts and income reports and done some of their courses. Also, they are all in the top 50 bloggers earning money online so they don't just talk about making money - they do it.

David Risley's Academy Lab Membership is $39.00 a month. David teaches how to make a business around your blog, and has been blogging for around 19 years. I have done many of his courses, years ago when he didn't have The Lab (Which is what I would do if I was starting out now), and he is extremely thorough in explaining everything. One thing though he may expect you to change the niche you are in

Yaro Starak can help you set up a profitable blog. He has a few courses and you can get to know him on his free webinar here How To Launch Your Online Platform, Grow Your Email List Without Buying Ads, And Turn Your Knowledge Into A Real Business.

Melyssa Griffin, teaches how to create courses and use an email funnel to sell them, as well as using Pinterest to get traffic. (In 2022, I'm not sure if she is still doing this but you may be able to find her courses from previous years)

Of course whatever route you choose to make money with your blog you must then promote, promote promote what you are doing.

I hope this list has got you thinking of what you can do on your blog to make some money.

Please remember that the biggest thing you can do to make money is to start trying something today.

Good Luck and I would love to hear what works for you or what you are thinking of trying to make money with your blog.

Monday

Your Pre Publish checklist (or what to do before you hit the Publish button)

Your Pre Publish checklist - or what to do before you hit the Publish button

When I get to the end of writing a post I am really excited and want to just get the post out into the blog- a-sphere...
BUT
over all the years of blogging, I have learnt to curb my impatient nature and double check a few things before I publish my post.
That final moment before publishing is a chance to elevate your post from good to great. So I actually created a Pre Publish Checklist to help you slow down, double-check the essentials, and give your writing the best possible send-off.

1. TITLE : Is the Title catchy?

2. KEYWORD: Have you included a keyword or keyword phrase in the title or in the beginning of your article?

3. IMAGE: Have you included one (or more) relevant images? Have you added it's ALT Text.

4. PROOFREAD: Double check the spelling and grammar.

5. INTERNAL LINKING: Is it possible to link another one of your relevant posts to this post?

6. CALL TO ACTION: Can you include a call to action at the end?

7. REFERENCES: Can you include quality references?

8. LINKS: Check all the links.

Blogging is both art and craft—and this checklist is my way of honoring both. Whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting out, these simple steps can help you publish with confidence. If you have questions, suggestions, or your own favorite pre-publish rituals, I’d love to hear from you in the comments. Let’s keep learning from each other and making our words count.

Saturday

Blogging Prompt: write a letter to your future self.

Blogging Prompts for people in chronic pain

WHAT IS A BLOGGING PROMPT? It is a suggestion for you to blog about, if you are looking for ideas. It may give you an idea to get you started on blog post. It may spark ideas to get you past a writer's block.  

I think it would be cool to write a letter to your future self and actually send it.

I would write about what is important to me right now, my fibromyalgia symptoms and what things I am currently trying to help reduce them, my interests and my goals.
I would love to read this in the future... in maybe 10 years or maybe 5.

What would you write about to inform your future self?

There is a really cool app that lets you do this here and it's called futureme.org and they actually email you your letter on the date and year you specify. I am going to write a letter to my future self there using the app but I also think it is a great idea for a blog post.

If you agree with me and write a blog post about it please let me know so I can come and read it. Thanks from Lee.

Tuesday

How to grow your newsletter subscriber list

How to grow your newsletter subscriber list
We all want our mailing list to be full of avid readers who are interested in what we have to say and what we have to promote. So how do we attract the right readers? How do we get the people who are reading our posts to sign up to our newsletter?

First of all remember this relies on getting traffic to our blog in the first place (but that is a whole different issue).

Secondly think about your reader and what they want
  • Write good content on a regular basis geared to that reader.
  • Ask permission to send content to people’s emails. This could be an opt-in form on your blog. Try different places and if the sidebar opt-in does not work try one at the top of your page or on your about page etc.
  • Promote your newsletter through your social networks i.e. twitter, facebook etc.
  • Use a Facebook newsletter signup.
  • Offer a free item for people who subscribe to your list - it could be a free guide, resource, or template that solves a problem that your readers might have.
  • Place a postscript at the bottom of your most popular posts that invites people to sign up to your newsletter if they enjoyed your post. 
  • Hold a contest or a giveaway that people join in by leaving their email.
  • Provide a series of articles or videos and ask for an email address after the first post to unlock the rest.
  • Try different approaches and test which works best.
  • If you use a great email marketing product like Aweber (my favourite) you get to easily see what emails are working best as well as access to hundreds of opt in forms,  email automation and autoresponder follow ups. You can start a free trial of Aweber with access to every feature by clicking my affiliate link. (you know I only recommend products I use and love)
We'd love to hear what has worked well for you in growing your email list, so please let us know in the comment section.

On this same topic of emails you might also like to read What should I send in my emails? which offers ideas for WHAT to write.