20 Tips Make Your Blog Work

1. Pick a topic for your blog. Having a specific focus actually gives you more to write about. Like a novel, your blog takes on direction and purpose.
2. Encourage comments. Allow comments, and respond to comments.
3. Make it easy to subscribe. Make it easy to subscribe to your feed by placing an orange RSS button in a highly visible location. Route your feed through Feedburner so you can keep track of your subscribers.

4. Include an About page.
5. Present your ideas visually. Long blocks of text aren’t read.
6. Keep posts short and to the point.
7. Use subheadings for long posts.
8. Link abundantly. Links increase readership and let others know you’re writing about them.
9. Make headlines descriptive.
10. Archive by topic. Rather than date.
11. Include a list of related posts beneath each post.
12. Allow users to contact you offline.
13. Present your real viewpoint. Be yourself and speak your mind.
14. Write for your future employer. You should know that your future employer, and possibly your current employer, will read it.
15. Include a Top Posts section.
16. Provide an index. Providing an index readers can quickly scan is an excellent way to let users skim your entire post collection.
17. Get your own URL and match it to your blog’s title.
18. Include a Recent Posts section in your sidebar.
19. Reward commenters for commenting. Add the Show Top Commenters plugin.
20. Post often.