31 Days to Build a Better Blog (31DBBB) by Darren Rowse is truly a must-read for anyone who wants to get the most out of their blogs.
As the title suggests, this book is broken down into 31 sections, or “days,” although the author points out in the introduction that readers can follow at their own pace, whether that means reading one section per day, three sections per day, or three sections per week.
Each section has a specific title that tells exactly what that section will cover. For example, the first section is called, “Write an elevator pitch for your blog.” Within each section, the author provides any necessary information, such as a description of an elevator pitch in the first section; explains why the step is important for bloggers; and assigns a task for readers to do on their own.
But you’re never completely on your own…the author created an online forum just for 31DBBB readers, with sections for each day’s tasks, where readers can interact with other participants, ask questions, and get feedback on their work. At the end of each chapter in the book, the author provides a link back to the corresponding forum section and encourages you to head there to complete your experience.
While the chapters are fairly short (typically 2-5 pages) and can be read fairly quickly, they are full of thoroughly-explained, useful information that gets you thinking about ways to improve your blog. There is definitely no fluff here! The author discusses many innovative methods of coming up with relevant content and capturing loyalty in your readers. Other topics include inspiring specific action from your readers, driving traffic to your blog, and developing an editorial calendar for your blog.
In the sections that seem to be geared toward blogs that are already somewhat established (ie. “Email a blog reader,” which assumes that you have readers to email), he includes an addendum at the end of the chapter for brand-new bloggers who are still trying to capture regular readers.
I highly recommend that anybody who blogs for business purposes reads this book. You may want to print a hard copy of this electronic book and put it in a three-ring binder for easy reference. And keep a highlighter handy…you’ll need it! I also want to note that I found the author’s writing style to be extremely down-to-earth, friendly, and patient as he describes the blogging tips and techniques that have helped him develop many successful blogs (including
ProBlogger).
This e-book was published in 2009 and contains 94 pages.
Click here to buy the book!
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BOOK REVIEW - 31 Days to Build a Better Blog
Let Me Do It!
I actually printed out my copy of Darren's e-book myself and put it in a 3-ring binder for easy access. But might be easier just to buy the paperback and save yourself the trouble!
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