Blogging

Affiliate Bloggers: A Tip

~ beetleypete ~ 33 Comments

Hello to all you affiliate bloggers. Those of you hoping to make some money by writing blog posts with buying links to products. Yes, you are honest about that, and I thank you for that honesty. Why not use the Internet to create a business that pays you money without having to actually buy-in any products? That sounds like a good idea.

But here’s my tip.

Research your target market before following a blogger that you hope may be someone who would use your links to purchase products.

Take me, as an example. I am a man, and I am 69 years old.

I don’t wear lipstick.
I do not have a ‘skincare regime’.
I do not have extensions in my hair.
I do not have enough hair left to bother about using special shampoos.
I am white skinned. (Photo on my About page, if you want to check)
That means I do not need special products designed for darker skin types.
I don’t use foundation make-up, or eye shadow.
I do not use nail polish, or wear false fingernails.
(Some 69 year old men might, and I don’t judge them for that)
I do not have any need for a ‘natural’ make-up remover.
I might be considered to be ‘plus size’, but I do not wear ‘shaping garments’ to hide that.

I wish you well with your ventures, and I am just trying to save you the time and trouble of directing your marketing at the wrong bloggers.

A WordPress Exchange On Twitter

~ beetleypete ~ 67 Comments

I saw an advertisement on Twitter. WordPress want to recruit more ‘Happiness Engineers’, for Customer Service.

We are growing! Check out our open, fully distributed roles across engineering, design, Happiness (customer service), marketing (and more!). Get all of the details on how to apply here: bit.ly/38guhDF

So I replied.

“Happiness? Give us back the Classic Editor, and I will be happy! Listen to your customers and bloggers!”
8:15 PM · Apr 1, 2021Twitter Web App
Then they replied.

WordPress.com
@wordpressdotcom

Replying to

@beetleypete
If you really want to use something like the classic editor, we recommend sticking with the classic block: wordpress.com/support/wordpr We also have some extensive documentation available at

I answered.

“It’s not the Classic Editor though, is it? Just let us have have the option. What’s the problem? You know it’s possible. So many users absolutely hate Block Editor, and cannot work it out. Look after your users and paying customers. (like me) Do the right thing for once.”

Nothing since then. Not surprised.

WordPress Strikes Early!

~ beetleypete ~ 102 Comments

Well it seems that WordPress understands ‘Late 2021’ to be the last week in March. With no warning, the ‘Classic’ option was removed from my blog today.

I am now stuck with ‘their way or the highway’. In other words, the hated and detested Block Editor. Not-so-fondly referred to by me as ‘Mister Blocky’.

Fortunately, I had already completed the final episode of my serial, and I am using the cheekily-named ‘Classic Block’ to produce this post.

I know many of you have come to love Mister Blocky, so there’s no need to rush to its defence in the comments. But I HATE it, and will continue to do so, whatever you say.

I am hoping to receive a ‘work-around’ that will enable me to use the Old Editor again soon. But in the meantime, if I am not around on my blog, you will know why.

New Bloggers: A Helping Hand

~ beetleypete ~ 92 Comments

It seems that a lot of the new bloggers who have arrived on WordPress this year are keen to read about some tips and advice to help them get a start in blogging.

My three recent posts on the subject have received well over 2,300 views in a very short time.

Now we all have different ideas about what makes for good blogging, and also different views on blogging ‘etiquette’. For the new people to become part of any community will take some time of course. Meanwhile, we can all help them along the way with any useful tips and advice that might spring to mind.

I won’t be asking everyone to put up a post on the subject, don’t worry. You are all busy with your own blogs and lives, so another suggestion from me is the last thing you need.

That said, adding a comment to this post won’t take you long. It might help a new blogger, encourage them to continue to blog, and eventually grow this wonderful community that we all enjoy being a part of.

So all I am asking is that if you have any blogging rules you swear by, or some valuable tips that you have yet to share, just add them as a comment below.

The post will stay up, and hopefully be found by many of those new bloggers.

Thanks in advance, and best wishes to everyone. Pete.

The ‘Clearwater’ Anomaly

~ beetleypete ~ 25 Comments

Last December, I posted about the short sci-fi film, ‘Clearwater’.

‘Clearwater’: A Short Science Fiction Film

At the time, it had 50 ‘likes’, and around 18 comments.

But in the past week, it has been receiving almost 100 views a day, every day. Not one of these viewers has left either a ‘Like’, or a comment.

So I am beginning to think this is some kind of automatic system, supposedly viewing this blog post.

However, if you are genuine, please let me know.

Site Title: New Bloggers Please Note

~ beetleypete ~ 74 Comments

I get a comment on a blog post. It says “Please follow my blog”.

Nothing relevant to my post. Just that one short line.

The same blogger also appears as a ‘New Follower’.

I check out the origin of their blog. Who knows? I may like it, and want to follow.

But it is just called ‘Site Title’.

There are no published posts.

So why would I follow a blog that has no title, and no posts to read?

Answers on a postcard, to the usual address.

Making Your Blog Hard To Find

~ beetleypete ~ 125 Comments

This is a post of yet more tips for new bloggers.

I have mentioned not linking your blog to your Gravatar previously, but so many of you still don’t bother with that, I’m giving up.

On this occasion, I am talking about the (mostly) new bloggers who seem to think that style beats substance, where blogging is concerned.

It doesn’t, believe me.

Everyone knows by now that it is my habit to visit the site of new followers, and leave a message or comment on one of their posts.
(That cannot happen if you don’t have any posts, or an unlinked Gravatar image by the way.)

So here is what seems to be happening a lot lately.

The blog has some kind of Home page, or perhaps an ‘Introduction’ page. But neither allow comments. Then to actually find the blog, I have to look in the side menu or top line for the word ‘Blog’. Then when I click on that, I get a selection of small boxes or images with a ‘teaser’ for the posts they contain, but little or no idea what they might be about.

Sometimes as I am trying to figure this out, an image of some kind blots out the text, and superimposes itself on the whole page. That image may well be relevant in some way, and it certainly looks swish and professional to many people. But the truth is, it’s just really irritating. And it’s not always apparent how to get rid of it, to get back to what I was looking at before it turned up.

But by this stage, I am already thinking about clicking the ‘X’ at the top of the screen, and not bothering.

Then there are the bloggers who require a comment to be filled out in a separate ‘Contact Me’ section. Scrolling down, filling in my name, email address, website details, etc. But if I do this, the comment is not on the blog post I just tried to read anyway, so why should I bother? Sometimes, this is caused by the choice of theme. Best to change your theme, if that’s the case.

Take this top tip, free of charge. If you want followers, if you want blogging interaction and comments, if you want to be part of a blogging community, do these three things.

*Allow real comments on posts, including ‘About’ pages, not just ‘Contact Me’ boxes.
*Make each post clear and separate, so we know what we are looking at.
*Cut out the fancy moving images, and the bizarre colour schemes.

Otherwise you are going to be a very lonely blogger.

Best Blogging Day So Far

~ beetleypete ~ 53 Comments

Yesterday, the 14th of March, saw the highest views of my blog in one day, since I started in 2012.

There were 789 views of the five posts, from 320 visitors in the 24-hour period.

As well as many welcome comments, there were 329 ‘Likes’, also the highest number of those yet

It is very pleasing to have so much interaction with the blogging community, and I would like to thank everyone who made it my best blogging day so far.

Best wishes to you all, Pete.

India Beats Britain!

~ beetleypete ~ 21 Comments

No, I am not talking about test cricket, though we lost that series too.

Checking the stats today, I was surprised to discover that views of my blog from India are now in second place behind America.

Britain is now in third place for views.

Am I being deserted by my own country?

Anyway, thanks very much, India!