Newbie Blogging Toolbox

Does anyone out there know I'm here in this big blogosphere? That was my question as a new blogger. Good news - there're brilliant tools to attract folks to your blog ...

Drew McLellan challenged readers to design a tool box to help new bloggers get started. Here's a gold mine I wish I had access to when I launched...

Encourage Comments: Christine OKelly of Create Business Growth wrote an amazing post to share how Jonathan Phillips built a thriving community and profitable blog in 5 months. Christine asked this brilliant question, How is Jon Generating So Many Comments when Others are Struggling for One or Two? here's what she discovered...

Jon is very serious about connecting with people. After attending the SOBCon event in Chicago, he decided that what he really wanted from his blog was to connect with people.

Each week, he surfs through MyBlogLog, BlogCatalog, or Stumble Upon in search of 5 or 6 blogs on marketing and entrepreneurship, adds them to his reader, reads them daily for about a week, leaves comments on posts that compel him, and keeps the blogs that he feels provide him with value.

Jon is not just focused on his blog. He is genuinely interested in meeting new people, reading their ideas, and contributing to their conversations. As a result, he has built an incredibly active community in a record amount of time.

I gathered great ideas for my blog as I read this so I know that bloggers just starting out will see this post as a goldmine.

Include Photos What graphic would you pick to get your message out if you could not use words? A well-chosen graphic can hook a reader to go ahead and read the text, too! Since an average reader will stay on your site a total of about 17 seconds, this can be critical. Tara at Graphic Design Blog finds Yotophoto The Free Images Search Engine a super tool to locate creative commons graphics that are available to use on your blog.

Optimize so Search Engines Find You Aussie blogger Yaro Starak, is a very hot blogger. He suggests there's an 80%/20% rule to blogging so that search engines find your blog. Here's Yaro's Top 8 Tips for Search Engine Optimization

Overshoot Goals How can you be distinctive and stand out? Priscilla Palmer suggests that you overshoot your goals. Have an action plan as you begin to blog. Be distinctive and lift yourself out of the crowd!

Choose a Great Template If you're using Blogger and you do not find a Blogger Template you like on the Blogger Site, Gecko and Fly offer great Blogger Templates that you might enjoy.

Reliable and Not So Reliable Blogging Tools Many bloggers find that WordPress is a great blogging tool and I know many who begin with Blogger switch over. I'd suggest you start with WordPress and avoid the hassle. Jonathan Phillips discusses which tools work best.

Sign up for Technorati and Google Blog Search Bookmarklets Maki tells you how to set up Technorati and Google Blog Search Bookmarklets. Knowing who links to you is critical for you to build community. But you need tools to do that well!

Once you're set up in Technorati be sure to opt into Technorati Favorites and easily see your favorite blogs all in one place in a great easy format. I find Faves a really great feature!

Here's my tip: Use Multiple Gifts and Talents as a Blogger. As you consider how to express ideas best think about all possible lenses to use. I've highlighted bloggers who shine in the eight intelligences. By viewing some bloggers that I've highlighted, you can use more of your brain as you blog!

Shouting Bloggers' Intelligences
Bloggers Tap Intelligences
Bloggers Gifts and Talents Shine
Celebrating Bloggers Who Use More Intelligences
Bloggers Help Us Grow More of Our Eight Intelligences
8 Intelligences Illumine the Blogosphere
A Spotlight on Bloggers 8 Intelligences
Highlighting Bloggers Eight Intelligences
8 Intelligences Shine Across the Blogosphere

Drew, this proved to be lots of fun and helped me locate new tools that will help me blog. What a great idea you had for this one...

Here are links to others who've already submitted their input to Drew's request for tools to give an edge to new bloggers:

Bloggers' Toolkit: Passing on Help with Gratitude from Successful and Outstanding Bloggers

Building a Blogger Toolbox from Flooring the Consumer

Toolbox for New Bloggers: Great Sites for Getting Started from Branding and Marketing

Build a Blogger Toolbox from Connecting in College

New to Blogging? Here's Your Toolbox from Small Business Marketing Ideas: Marketing Idea Blog

A Helping Hand for New Bloggers from Confident Writing

Business Blog Toolbox: Listening from ConverStations

Essential Tools ConverStations Style from Essential Keystrokes

The New Blogger ToolBox from hee-hawmarketing

A new blogger toolbox from Bizandbuz

July's Blog Tips From ProductivityGoal from ProductivityGoal

A helping hand for new bloggers from Confident Writing

Saturday Blogging Post from ModernMagellans

Great Blog from Great Blog

We were all newbie bloggers once! So this legacy's for the taking...