Technical Blogging: Amplify Your Influence

Cover
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
	What Is Technical Blogging?
	Blogging Isn't Dead
	Blogging as a Megaphone
	Blogging as a Conversation
	Bloggers with Benefits
	How to Get the Most Out of This Book
Part I—Plan It
	1. What Kind of Blog Are You Going to Run?
		Solo vs. Collective
		General vs. Niche
		Pundit vs. Instructional
		Business Blogs
		Take Action
		What's Next
	2. Rock-Solid Planning for Your Blog
		Define Your Blog's Main Topic
		Analyze the Size of Your Niche
		Give Readers a Compelling Reason to Stick Around
		Set Goals for Your Blog
		Choose and Register a Domain Name
		Take Action
		What's Next
Part II—Build It
	3. Setting Up Your Blog
		Choose Your Blogging Software and Hosting
		Configure Your Domain Name
		Install WordPress
		Configure WordPress
		Enhance WordPress with Plugins
		Take Action
		What's Next
	4. Customizing and Fine-Tuning Your Blog
		Pick a Professional Theme
		Enable Stats
		Customize Your Sidebar
		Encourage Social Media Sharing
		Win Over Subscribers
		Don't Get in Trouble: Use Disclaimers
		Set Up Your Blog for On-Page SEO
		Enable Code Highlighting in Your Posts
		Take Action
		What's Next
	5. Creating Remarkable Content
		Content Is King
		Write for the Web
		Develop Your Own Voice
		Where to Find Ideas for Your Posts
		Get Readers to Discover More of Your Content
		Copyright Matters
		Back Up Your Content
		Take Action
		What's Next
	6. Producing Content Regularly
		What's the Post Frequency, Kenneth?
		Consistency Is Queen
		What Days Should You Post On?
		Schedule Time to Blog
		Survive Writer's Block
		Get Others to Write for You
		Take Action
		What's Next
	7. Finding Time to Blog
		Master Your To-Do List
		Figure Out Where Your Time Goes
		Limit Distractions
		Schedule Productive Time
		Focus with the Pomodoro Technique
		Take Action
		What's Next
Part III—Promote It
	8. Promoting Your Blog
		Market It and They Will Come
		Correct a Self-Sabotaging Mindset
		Perform On-Page and Off-Page SEO
		Not All Links Are Created Equal
		Guest Blog on Other Blogs
		Other Forms of Article Marketing
		Add Your Blog to Planet Sites
		Participate in the Community
		Leverage Foreign Blogs
		The Dark Side of Link Building
		Promote Your Articles on Social Networks
		Promote on Social News Sites
		Case Study: ProgrammingZen.com's Social Traffic
		Promoting on Quora
		Cross-Post to Medium and dev.to
		Take Action
		What's Next
	9. Understanding Traffic Statistics
		Baseline vs. Spike Traffic
		Key Site Usage Metrics You Need to Consider
		Interpret Visit Quantity and Quality
		Where Do They All Come From?
		Analyzing Traffic with Google Analytics
		Keep Track of Your Blog's Growth
		Other Analytics Tools Worth Considering
		Take Action
		What's Next
	10. Building a Community Around Your Blog
		Engage Readers
		Supplement Your Blog with Community Tools
		Forms of Criticism
		Your Mantras When Dealing with Criticism
		Take Action
		What's Next
Part IV—Benefit from It
	11. Advancing Your Career with Blogging
		Improve Your Skills
		Advance Your Career
		Obtain Freebies
		Deal with Opportunities
		Other Benefits for Startups
		Make Money from Your Blog
		Take Action
		What's Next
	12. Promoting Your Own Business
		A Checklist for Company Blogs
		Identify and Understand Your Readers
		Craft Your Content for Your Prospective Customers
		Convert Readers into Customers
		Take Action
		What's Next
Part V—Scale It
	13. Scaling Your Blogging Activities
		Scale Your Blog Vertically
		Hire a Team of Bloggers
		Build Your Blogging Empire
		Take Action
		What's Next
	14. Beyond Blogging: Strategizing for Social Media
		Why Bother with Social Media?
		Define a Social Media Strategy
		Identify the Social Networks You Intend to Target
		Create Your Social Media Profiles
		Cross-Promote Your Site and Social Properties
		Post Frequently and Engage with People in Your Niche
		Take Action
		What's Next
	15. Final Words of Advice
		Try It Out
		Blogs to Follow
		Keep in Touch
A1. List of Tips Within the Book
	Chapter 1: What Kind of Blog Are You Going to Run?
	Chapter 2: Rock-Solid Planning for Your Blog
	Chapter 3: Setting Up Your Blog
	Chapter 4: Customizing and Fine-Tuning Your Blog
	Chapter 5: Creating Remarkable Content
	Chapter 6: Producing Content Regularly
	Chapter 7: Finding Time to Blog
	Chapter 8: Promoting Your Blog
	Chapter 9: Understanding Traffic Statistics
	Chapter 10: Building a Community Around Your Blog
	Chapter 11: Advancing Your Career with Blogging
	Chapter 12: Promoting Your Own Business
	Chapter 13: Scaling Your Blogging Activities
	Chapter 14: Beyond Blogging: Strategizing for Social Media
A2. Bibliography
Index
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