IS USING ADOBE INDESIGN FOR YOUR BLOG A GOOD IDEA?

Photography by Mark Abrahams, Publiced in Harper's Bazaar US, March 2015

This past 6 months I've had the pleasure of getting to know and try a lot of Adobes programs first hand. And it has really opened my eye on how useful these programs can be to a blogger, as they can be used to create almost all different kinds of blog promotions and graphics for your blog, like business cards, logos and collages among others. 

Some of Adobes most useful programs are Photoshop and Illustartor, both great for editing your photos though you can do so much more additional things in Photoshop than just photo editing, Illustrator, which are great for designing logos and lastly Indesign, great for everything flyer, business card and poster like. And I have to say that Indesign is by far my favorite program to use. 

I highly recommend learning Indesign, and it should be fairly easy with all the guides out there to get a basic understanding of the tools within the program. At first it can seem quite scary as there is a lot of different options, but you'll quickly get the hang of it, if you put in the necessary time. I know that after I've learned the program, it will be used much more as a blogging tool for me, when I get it on my own computer.

Both photos in this article, is examples of what you can make with Indesign and it's many features. A lot of web magazines and ebooks are made in Indesign, as it's the perfect tool for that. I myself plan on making an ebook for you guys some time! Some business cards, an email head, a new logo and some graphics for my blog will also be on the program for future making.

So do I think Indesign is a useful tool for bloggers? Indeed. I can see so many things getting done prettier and easier in Indesign, to make your blog more appealing. Also you would save on ton of money, from not getting those things made by a graphic designer (though I would love to make it for you, for a small fee).
Would you use Indesign for your blog? 

Editorial design by Tony Ziebetzki

10 blogging things you can use Indesign to create

- Business Cards

- Letter/email heads and envelopes

- Resumes/Portfolios

- Banners 

- Work sheets

- Blog post graphics

- Ebooks

- Photo collages

- Social media graphics

- Printables

If anyone have the desire to learn more about Indesign than those basic guides out there, I would love to put together some guides for designing some of the above or anything else for that matter. 

Also I've considered making business cards, resumes and stuff like that as free templates for those already owning Indesign or creating costumized ones for those interested. Would anyone be interested in either of these suggestions? 

THOUGHTS ON THE COMMENT COMMUNITY + TIPS AND EXPERIENCES

"COMMENTS OUTNUMBER IDEAS"

I love blogging. I love what I do, and I love getting response to what I do. Every single comment expressing your individual likes and dislikes means the world to me, and I believe that most bloggers out there feel the same way. For me, the number and value of the comments are just as important as seeing your followers growing, because the comment's section really is what has made me more concious of what you want to read more of and what wasn't such a hit. The bottom line is that comments has made me a better and happier blogger.

When I'm searching around blogs, it happens that I see posts that have more than 100 comments, but it's a rare sight. Normally the comment rate I see, is around the 20 and a lot of you might think '20, that's a fine deal of comments', but a lot of the times the blogs that get the 20 comments has around 1000 followers, so actually it's only an average of 2% af their followers that comments on their posts. That's not a lot, thinking that these blogs could have 500-1000 pageviews a day!

Let's say a blog with a 1000 followers in average has half of their following check out every post and only 2% of them decides to comment, it would give you 10 comments on each post. That's not a lot from such a big following. So how come your followers doesn't comment more on your posts?

I have found that it's because you don't engage enough with your followers and doesn't do much reaching out on other peoples blogs. Take a look at yourself; How likely are you to comment on your fellow bloggers' posts? I know a lot of people who reads every post on their favorite blogs, but still never leaves that one comment that could make their favorite bloggers day, by telling them just how much they like the blog. I incurage you to write a comment on each of your favorite blogs every time they post something new in a couple of weeks and both your own comment and visitor counter will go up.

But of course this isn't all about just getting comments. It's about those comments that has thought put into them and the reader took time to write. Those comments that really matter, as spam comments doesn't really do much.

Picture from Pinterest - Saved on 'Inspiration'

MY EXPERIENCE

By using the tips in the bottom of the post my comment rate has increased, and some days when I put in an extra effort is even see my following increase. And who wouldn't like that?

The post that I've gotten the most comments, excluding my own is my bucket list post, where I got a whooping 140 comments. That's a lot! Considering that I've had 400 views on that post so far, 35% of them wrote a comment. Compared to my second most commented post where I got 110 comments, 31% of all visitors commented, which is still pretty good.
It's not that these two post are super wellwritten or gives a lot of useful information, but because I followed the tips at the bottom of this post and wrote a lot of comments on others blogs in the time where these posts got posted, it gave others the courage to comment.

If you were like me, and felt like writing to followers that didn't responded, I would highly recommend reading on and try for yourself. The community of commenting will only get better if you start yourself. So what are you waiting for?

TIPS FOR GETTING MORE COMMENTS ON YOUR POSTS

1 | I try to comment on at least 30 blogs a day, to make sure my blog is visible to others that might not would have found it on their own, ´cause let's face it; there's a million blogs out there. I see my own comment counter going up when I comment on other posts, as well as my visitors rate. 

2 | I recommend starting commenting on blogs that has been linked in the comment form of your favorite blogs. That way you will find bloggers that like the same blogs as you do and maybe also find someone you want to follow

3 | I have found both my comment and follower rate going up when commenting on blogs that isn't from my own country, but from other countries around the would. For instance I like the comment on blogs in Europe as I'm from Europe my self, and there are also a lot of Russian blogs out there

4 | The more meaningful and long your comment is, the more likely is the blogs owner and visitors at that blog to click on the link to your blog. It's not a scientific fact, but I have noticed this over the last couple of months and I'm sure that this is right. So make sure you make those comments long and meaningful - Those are the best comments a blogger can recieve!

5 | Ask a question in the bottom of your post. It will make more people comment on your post, as they are more likely to answer if you are asking them a question rather than just telling a story.

6 | Not post every day. If you post a new post every single day, your followers and visitors won't have time to see it all, as they probably doesn't visit you blog every day. If you only post every second or third day, you will give your followers time to see all your posts and are more likely to comment on your posts.

7 | Highlight the positives! I know from myself that I'm much more likely to check out the linked blog under a positive comment rather than a negative one, and I think everybody is like that. If you insists on telling the blogger what they did wrong in your opinion, please do it considering there's another human being that has to read it

100 POSTS THAT WILL HELP YOU IMPROVE YOUR BLOG

When I first started out as a blogger, figuring everything out yourself was pretty hard, and I have therefore used a lot of guides to get my blog to where it is today. I have spend a great amount of time browsing Pinterest to find the 100 best guides that will help you improve your blog in various categories. and here they are. I have read each and everyone, and they are all helpful! If these 100 posts weren't enough for you, check out my blogging board at my Pinterest for more posts that will for sure upgrade your blogging skills

I believe in giving all new bloggers a fair chance, so I especially like when sucessful bloggers share their best tips for new bloggers and tell about their journey from a small blog to a big business. All of these post can be helpfull to new bloggers as well as old bloggers too.

If you know anymore helpful blog posts, please post them down below in a comment! If there's a vote for it, I will make an updated version later on with more posts

Photography

'4 things you must do to your Blog images' - By Perfect enough for Us

'10 travel photography tips' - By Post Cards from Rachel
'How and Why to Brand Photos' - By Elle and Company Design

'How to take the Perfect OOTD without a Photographer' - By WhoWhatWear
'How to Pose so You doesn't look fat in Photos' - By Srl Lounge
'DIY Photo Backdrops for Bloggers' - By Girl Loves Glam
'Tips for taking Outfit Photos in Public Places' - By Forever Amber
'Best iPhone Photography Apps' - By Krystal Kitsch
'Photography Tips for Bloggers' - By Thirteen Thoughts
'How to Style Pictures on a White Background' - By Pop Cosmo
'The Best Photography Equipment for Blogging' - By The Nectar Collective
 'Lightning Tips and Tricks for Bloggers' - By Making nice in the Mid West
'How to take Brighter Photos' - By Thirteen Thoughts
'How to Copyright Your Photos' - By Midwestern Moms
'How I get my Photos Blog Ready' - By Lemon Thistle
'20 Things I wish I Knew About Photography Posing' - By Photography Awesome Sauce

Writing

'How to Create a Blog Series.. Technically Speaking' - By Nosegraze
'Staying Productive with Backup Blog Posts' - By The Wonder Forest

'10 Things to check before hitting 'Publish' - By Amuse Your Bouche
'How to (semi)Automate the Editing Process' - By Justin McLachlan
'365 Blog Topic Ideas' - By The Wonder Forest
'Why there are no 'Wrong Reasons' in blogging' - By Becky Bed Bug
'Create a Stunning Reading Experience' - By Dustn
'50 Ideas for Blog Photos' - By The College Prepster
'Secrets to a Powerful Blog Post' - By Rebekah Radice
'Top 10 Copyright Free Image Sources' - By Kirsty Girl
'Grow Your Blog by Positioning Yourself as an Expert' - By Ciera Design
'5 Actions for Making You a Better Blogger' - By Autumn Leaves
'How to Create a Killer and Compelling Blog Headline' - By Blog Chika Blog

'Blog Faster Without Compromising Quality' - By Twelve Skip
'How to Create Share-Worthy Blog Posts' - By By Regina
'How to Plan one Year of Blog Posts in Advance' - By This Fashion is Mine
'Simple Method for Coming up with Original Content' - By Elle and Co
'How to Balance Personal and Professional on Your Blog' - By Snap Creativity
'Why You Should Keep a Backlog of Posts' - By Chloe Social
'How I Created 118 Original Blog Post Ideas in One Day' - By Laura J
'8 Reasons Why You Need to Keep a Editorial Calendar' - By Simply Blogging Along
'The Blog Tools I Can't Live Without' - By Life Could be a Dream
'Maintaining a Sense of Self as a Blogger' - By Kory Woodard
'5 Ways to Make Your Blog More Readable' - By Lauren Carns

Social Media

'How to create a succesfull Social Media Strategy' - By Autumn Leaves
'How to get a Blog Post to go Viral' - By Olyvia
'How I doubled my Instagram Following' - Army Wife to Suburban Life
'12 Best Fashion Apps to Download' - By Harpers Bazaar
'The 12 Best Apps for Professional Females' - By Of Mercer
'The Bloggers Ultimate Guide to Instagram' - By Bloggers Bazaar
'How to Brand Your Social Media' - By Chloe Social

'20+ Social Media Tips for Bloggers' - By Creating and Co

'How to Make Your Blog go Viral' - By Stay at Home Susie
'How to Manage Multiple Social Networks' - By Peg Fitzpatrick
'How to Triple Your Facebook Followers in Two Months' - By The Sits Girls
'40+ Smart Strategies to Grow Your Blog with Pinterest' - By Twelve Skip
'Which Social Media Platforms Work for You?' - By By Regina
'19 Visual Social Media Secrets' - By Socially Sorted
'How to Make Your Blog Posts More Pinnable' - By Heart Love Always

Layout

'7 essential pages every Blog should have' - By Pink Studios

'How to create a Custom Header for Blogger' - By The Wonder Forest
'4 Mistakes you could be Making in Your 'About-Page' - By Katelyn Brooke
'Most Helpfull Codes for Beginning Bloggers' - By Life a little Brighter
'18 Questions to Help You Write Your About Page' - By Work Your Art

'5 Quick Ways to Refresh Your Blog right now' - By The Wonder Forest
'Streamline Your Blog using Labels' - By Hello Brio
'The Ultimate Guide to Font Pairing' - By Design School
'How to add Graphics + Text to Your Photos' - By Kaleidoscope
'How to Create an Email Opt-in' - By Bloggers Bazaar
'Branding Your Blog | Examples' - By Kaleidoscope

Growing 

'Goals, Objectives, Strategies and Tactics for Bloggers' - By Girl With a Banjo
'Top 10 Blogging Mistakes' - By Elle and Company Design
'How to get Your Blog Posts Shared' - By Imperfects Homemaker
'10 tips for Getting Back into Blogging' - By The Blogging Brew

'13 ways to drive more Traffic to old Posts' - By The Nectar Collective
'Fake Followers will never be Your Friend' - By The Wonder Forest
'Why No One Comments on Your Blog and How to Fix it' - By Life Could be a Dream
'How to Grow Your Blog without Spending Money' - By A Beautiful Exchange
'SEO Basics for Bloggers' - By The Wonder Forest
'58 Ways to get Noticed as a New Blogger' - By Blogelina
'5 Easy Ways to Promote Your Blog when You're Bored' - By The Kardia
'7 Ways to Keep Visitors on Your Site Longer' - By Elle and Company
'15 Places to Promote your Blog Posts' - By Kaleidoscope
'How to Define Your Target Audience' - By Autumn Leaves
 '10 Ways to Increase Page Views' - By Crazy Little Projects
'How to Get Noticed' - By I can Build a Blog
 '10 Affordable Investments for Better Blogging' - By Ember & March
'How to Better Your Business Without Networking' - By Levo
'5 Ways to Avoid Looking Like a Newbie Blogger' - By Webhosting Secret Revealed

Making money

'What king of Blogs make money?' - By Blog Chika Blog
'Tips for turning your Hobby into a Business' - By Tilly and the Buttons
'How to make Money Blogging' - By Making Sense of Cents
'How to Pitch Brands and Convience them to Partner With You' - By Hip Mediakits
'Over 30 ways to Earn Money with your Blog' - By Real Ways to Earn
'9 Steps to Starting Your own Business When You Work Full Time' - By Levo
'Make Money Freelance Blogging' - By Twelve Skip
'40+ Networks to Join to make More Money Blogging' - By Hip Mediakits
'Bloggers Who Make Money: Are They Sell-outs?' - By The Wonder Forest
'How to be Taken Seriously as a Blogger' - By Heidi Maranell
'9 blog Must-Haves to Make Brands want to Work with You' - By Hip Mediakits
'6 Tips for Starting Sponsorship on Your Blog' - By Post Cards from Rachel
'How to Use Pinterest to Make more Money Blogging' - By Tailwind blog
'How to Run Kick Butt Blog Sponsorships' - By Life Could be a Dream
'How to Make More Money With Your Affiliate Links' - By The Sits Girls