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The Ultimate Guide to PF Blogging Success: 100 Can’t-Miss Resources

By Christina Laun

A personal finance blog can be a great way to share your personal financial journey with the world. With the right determination, effort, and guidance, just about anyone can be successful at blogging. Inspired by Blueprint for Financial Prosperity and CleverDude, we’ve compiled a list of the most helpful resources and advice to get your personal finance blog off the ground.

Getting Started

Just like you, even the most popular personal finance blogs had to start somewhere. Here are some resources for getting your blog off the ground.

1. Ask for help on sites like Ask Shane and ProBlogger: Don’t be afraid to reach out to your fellow bloggers to ask for advice. Once upon a time even the most successful were starting out just like you and they can be an invaluable source of guidance and advice.
2. Learn to code: You don’t need to be a complete expert, but it will be to your advantage to learn the basics of the most common coding languages used in blogging. You’ll be able to better customize your blog both to your own design and to the needs of your readers. Check out these online resources for learning HTML, CSS and XHTML.
3. Research webhosts: While when you’re just starting out this might not be key, in the long run it pays to find out what the best hosting will be for you. Ask around to see what others are using and if they are happy with the service. You might want to try Dreamhost or Hurricane Electric.
4. GoDaddy: Buying your own domain name is relatively inexpensive and pretty much a necessity if you’re serious about blogging.
5. Gmail: If your blog is successful, you’re likely to get a good amount of email, so set up a separate account just for your blog so you won’t get blog related messages in your personal inbox.
6. BloggerCon: One of the best ways to learn the ins and outs of blogging is by talking with other bloggers. Attending conferences can help you meet other bloggers and give you an opportunity to check out classes and seminars.
7. SafeMail: Because of spammers, it’s unwise to simply post your unaltered email address on your blog. By posting an image of your email with SafeMail, you’ll allow legitimate people to email you while making it difficult for others to spam your account.
8. SpamKarma and Askimet: Just like anything on the Internet, spammers attack blog comments, so you’ll want to take measures to keep their impact to a minimum. Install SpamKarma or Askimet to help keep spammers at bay.
9. WP Cache: You don’t want to keep your readers waiting around for your page to load, so enable a plugin like WP Cache to speed up the process.
10. Common blogging mistakes: No bones about it, you’re going to make mistakes when you start blogging. Keep those to a minimum by learning from the mistakes of those who have gone before you by reading these informative articles.
11. BlogRolling: It can be helpful to your blog to link to other sites to bring in more traffic to your own site.The BlogRolling program makes it easy to keep these links organized. Remember, however, that you don’t have to link every blog that asks. Only link those with good and relevant content.
12. State your policies: Make sure to clearly state your policies on comments and linking on your blog so readers will know where you stand. You can use this site as a guide on how to go about creating a policy for your blog.
13. FireFTP: FireFTP makes it easy to transfer files to your blog without opening an additional program, and has many advanced features to help you get blogging.
14. WordPress: One of the most versatile blogging platforms, WordPress can get you on your way to creating a successful blog.
15. WordPress Plugins: Now that you’ve got your WordPress blog, make it even better with plugins dealing with spam, statistics, comments and more.
16. Guide to Blogging Terminology: For the new blogger, the amount of technical terminology used can be confusing. This site can help, providing definitions for the most commonly used blogging terms.

Content

Even the best designed website can’t make up for sub par content. Here are some tips and resources to help you make the most of everything you put on your blog.

17. Spellchecker: A few errors in spelling and grammar can do a lot of damage to the authority of a blog post. Run your content through Spellchecker to make sure you haven’t made any errors in spelling or grammar.
18. Concentrate on content first: While it’s tempting to get caught up in designing a swanky layout for your site, content should always be your first priority. Develop good articles first, then worry about how they look. You can use this article from SEOmoz for guidance on where to get ideas for great articles.
19. WebGrabber: If something catastrophic should happen to your data, you’ll want to have backups of everything so you can get your site back online as soon as possible. Simply give WebGrabber the URL of your site and it will download the data to your computer, which you can save in a safe place in case you need it. Set up a schedule to regularly backup your data so you’ll never lose content.
20. Wordpress DB Backup: If you’re using WordPress as your blogging platform, backing up your data can be easy with this plugin.
21. Focus on a specific topic: It can be difficult to stick to a single theme when you’re writing, but try to keep your entries as specific as possible. Focusing on one aspect of personal finance can differentiate you from the scores of other bloggers focusing on a broader scope. You can check out this helpful article on ProBlogger to help you pick and stick to a topic.
22. WordPress guide on permalinks: Permalinks make it easy for readers to get back to articles of yours they enjoyed and other bloggers to link to them without worry that the link will go dead. Make yours look nice by editing the code according to the guide provided by WordPress.
23. Reader Appreciation Project: Use this website to give you ideas on how to make sure your readers feel valued and thus more likely to return to your site.
24. Refdesk.com: Always fact-check and research before you post your blog. You don’t want to make assertions in your writing that later are revealed to be untrue. Refdesk can be a great place to make sure you’ve got the right information and a place you can link back to as a source.
25. Creative Commons: Creative Commons offers a way for you to mark the freedoms you want your blog content to carry. It can also be a helpful guide for determining what work created by others you can use on your blog.
26. Be controversial: Taking a look at an issue from a different point of view can make your blog a more interesting read and a bigger draw. Be careful not to cross the line and be offensive, however. That can do you more harm than good. This article at Super Blogger can give you advice on walking the fine line.
27. Post-timestamp: During the course of your blog writing, there will be times when you have lots of idea and time to blog and others when you really don’t. Stock up on posts when you have the time, and post-timestamp them so they’ll be posted when you don’t have time to create any new content.
28. Blogging schedule tutorial: Try to keep to a regular schedule of posting on your blog so readers will know they can expect new content from you and will keep checking back in. This tutorial will give you some helpful hints on getting started.
29. Guide to creating hooks: Your hook should be what lures readers in to read your blog and this guide can help you develop a good one. Whether you’re banking on humor or your intrepid reporting skills to draw in readers, always make sure to deliver or readers will be disappointed and won’t return.
30. Guide to Blog Titling: Often, the only thing readers will see when they search Google or social networking sites is the titles of your articles, so you’ll need to make sure they will say a lot in those few words. Use this guide to help you come up with interest-grabbing titles.
31. SurveyMonkey: If you’re struggling with ideas, or just want a little constructive criticism, ask readers for their opinions on your blog with a survey. Sometimes the feedback can be an invaluable resource, and SurveyMonkey makes the data easy to gather and compile.
32. Create a plan: Before you start writing your content, figure out where you want to go with it and develop a plan. Knowing what you want to achieve can help you keep your focus. You can use this article from Single Grain to help give you some guidelines to creating a useful blog plan.
33. w.blogger: While most blogging platforms come with their own online tools, it can be useful to have some independent desktop-based ones as well. w.blogger allows users to edit posts and templates with some additional features not found in any browser based toolsets.

Layout

Everyone has been to a website that was so cluttered and poorly designed that it was almost unusable. Make sure yours doesn’t turn out that way by using these valuable resources.

34. Wordpress Themes: Most blogs come with a default template, but if you want to have a professional-looking blog you’re going to want to use something more customized. Modify a pre-made layout or learn enough to make your own.
35. Template Navigator: Template Navigator has the largest catalogue of free templates out there with convenient preview shots so you can see what your blog will look like before making a commitment.
36. WordPress Guides: Use this guide to learn how to modify and customize almost anything on your WordPress blog.
37. Build a three column blog tutorial: Many people advocate three column layouts for blogs, and this tutorial can tell you what you need to do step-by-step. Keep in mind, however, that while this may be the best layout for others it might not be the best for you.
38. Hipcast: Hipcast can be a great tool for adding different types of media to your blog including audio, video and podcasts.
39. Guide to post length: Try to keep your post length in check, your readers don’t have infinite attention spans no matter how good your content is. Use these guidelines for creating the optimum post length.
40. Nvu: If you’re looking for a good web design tool but don’t have a lot of money to spend, try out the open source program Nvu, which rivals FrontPage and Dreamweaver in its functionality.
41. CSS Creator: You probably won’t be a whiz with CSS programming right off the bat, so use this creator to make it easy. Simply input the form colors, number of columns, and html version you want for your blog and at the click of a button you’ll have a template for your page.
42. Test layouts before applying them: When making changes to your layout or theme, test them out on an alternate test blog instead of your actual blog. That way, if something needs to be fixed it won’t interfere your actual blog. Contents Magic has a great guide to how you can go about doing this.
43. iStockPhoto: Give your articles a little color by adding photos. Just make sure you’ve got permission to use whatever photos you place on the site. You can buy cheap and legal stock images at iStockPhoto, or if you’re talented you can just use your own.
44. Make posts easy to scan: Studies have shown that web surfers don’t always read the content on websites– they tend to scan it for key phrases first. So work with your readers to make sure your content is easily scannable. You can find a good primer here.
45. The CSS Cheatsheet: If you’re unsure how to modify something on your blog use this cheatsheet to find the code you need and examples of it in action.

Subscriptions and Feeds

The ultimate goal in creating a personal finance blog is to get readers and to keep them coming back. Here are some ways to make doing so easy for you and your visitors.

46. Subscribe to comments plugin: Make sure you’ve installed this plugin to let readers subscribe to comments. If they’re interested in your page, they’ll want to be able to see the responses to their comments.
47. Feedburner: Feedburner allows you to track and get publicity for your RSS feed.
48. RSS Specifications: This website can answer almost all of your questions about creating an RSS feed for your blog. Make sure you’re creating a full feed, partial feeds have their advantages, but it has been found that most subscribers prefer full feeds.
49. RSS Headline Creator: This simple tool can make it easy to create the headlines that will appear in your RSS file.
50. PFBlogs.org: Submit your blog to a personal finance blog aggregator like pfblogs.org. You’ll get exposure and a chance to read blogs of other personal finance bloggers.
51. Bloglines: Keep abreast of the personal finance blogging world and become familiar with your peers by subscribing to the RSS feeds of other bloggers. Simply sign up with Bloglines and subscribe to any other blogs of interest.
52. AWeber: AWeber is a site that allows bloggers to create email-based RSS feeds for their sites.
53. Feedster: Get your blog out there and included in major directories. The more people that see what content you have, the more readers you can draw in.
54. RSS Button Maker: Don’t make users have to jump through hoops to subscribe to your blog. Create these easy-to-use buttons that will make subscribing easy and attractively packaged for your readers.
55. Ask readers to subscribe. If you want readers to subscribe to your blog, sometimes all you have to do is ask. Send out an email or dedicate a small portion of your content to asking users to subscribe.

Promotion

Like any business endeavor, you won’t get too far in blogging without at least a little marketing and promotion. These resources can help you get the word out about your blog.

56. ShareThis: Instead of installing a link to all of the social bookmarking sites out there, simply install ShareThis so no matter what site your readers prefer, they’ll be able to share your posts with others.
57. Carnival of Personal Finance: Participating in finance-related blog carnivals can be a great way to network with other bloggers and get your blog’s name out there. Just don’t forget to link to the carnival from your blog.
58. LinkPartners: Use your fellow bloggers to bring in more traffic. Swap links to each others’ pages, or exchange content. Either way, you’ll both benefit. LinkPartners provides an easy way to find other relevant sites looking to swap links.
59. Podcast tutorial: Take your blog into the audio realm with a podcast. Talk about issues related to your blog and don’t forget to mention that users should visit the site. Make sure you get your podcast listed in iTunes and any financial podcast directories.
60. Create Tell-a-Friend Scripts: Use some simple Java to bring more attention to your blog. The Tell-a-Friend script creates an option at the end of your article that allows users to easily email the article to a friend.
61. Guest blogging: While it might seem weird to blog for someone else when you’re trying to grow your own blog, guest blogging can increase the amount of people who read what you’re writing and draw new visitors to your site. Just make sure your article for any other site includes a link back to your page.
62. Money Blog Network: Make your presence known in the personal finance blogging world by joining forums. The Money Blog Network forums are a great place to start meeting other bloggers and make connections.
63. FeedShot: For a small fee, you can submit your blog to the blog directory service FeedShot, which allows you to bring more traffic to your site by making it easier to find.
64. I.D. It!: Bring your blog promotion off the web with I.D. It! plates. Order a small plate for your car and advertise for your blog everywhere you go.
65. Email newsletter guide: Promote your website through email by creating a simple newsletter you send out on a monthly or bi-monthly basis. Make sure it has original content and encourages readers to visit your blog.
66. Issue a press release: After your blog has become a little established, get your name out there by issuing a press release that you can send to news sites and bloggers you feel are relevant. If you’re unsure how to go about it, use this article as a guide.

Search Engine Optimization

A blog of any kind is useless unless people can find it. Help readers find yours by using these resources and tips to help your blog become more search engine friendly.

67. Ultimate Tag Warrior: You can do a lot to influence your blog’s position in search engine results by using keywords and tagging. A plugin like Ultimate Tag Warrior can help make it a little easier by adding tags to the top or bottom of your posts and giving you keyword suggestions.
68. FreeTag: FreeTag is another tagging tool for your blog. It is open source and will require users to know a little bit about MySQL databases.
69. SEOToolbox: The SEO Toolbox, created by SEOMoz, has a wide selection of SEO resources. You’ll find everything from tools to find the location of an IP address to tools that help you check to make sure your blog is listed with various search engines.
70. Google Webmaster Tools: These tools can help you make your site work better with Google by providing you with valuable information on what brings users to your site as well as how your site is indexed.
71. Read blogs by SEO experts: There are tons of resources out there on SEO, so take advantage of the expertise they offer. Check out SEOMoz, ProBlogger and Matt Cutts to start.
72. GoArticles: For better exposure, try syndicating some of your articles at sites like GoArticles. This can boost your chances of being found in a search and send quality web traffic your way.
73. iSnare: iSnare is another article directory where you can submit your writing and get some extra exposure.
74. XML-Sitemaps: Make use of a program like XML-Sitemaps to improve the searchability of your blog. By putting the site map on your server, you enable search engine crawlers from Google, Yahoo and other popular search engines to find out what pages are present on your blog and which have recently changed.
75. Ping-o-Matic: Sign up with a site like Ping-o-Matic, which will alert RSS and directory sites when you add new content.
76. Digg: Digg is one of the most popular social networking sites out there, and you can get a lot of additional traffic to your blog by submitting stories to it.
77. Del.icio.us: Del.icio.us allows users to bookmark sites and articles they find to be of interest. Those that are especially popular might even show up on the front page. If you get there, it can generate interest in your blog.
78. Squidoo: It only takes a few minutes to set up a Squidoo site, which you can use to link to personal finance resources and experts, as well as back to your blog.
79. Technorati: Submit your blog to a big blog directory like Technorati. That way, if people are searching for personal finance advice, your blog will be there.

Ads and Affiliates

While the purpose of your personal finance blog may be to help others with their finances, it doesn’t mean you can’t help out your finances at the same time with some carefully placed advertising. These are some ideas for advertising that can make your blog work for you.

80. Prepare your blog: Use this article to help you get your blog ready for adding some revenue generating ads.
81. Ad rates: It can be difficult to determine how much to charge advertisers for space on your blog. This article can help you get an idea of how much your blog space is worth.
82. Google AdSense: Google AdSense ads are some of the most popular advertising on blogs. Simply sign up and place some ad blocks on your site.
83. Text Link Ads: Another way to make money off of your blog is to sell text based ads on your site. Don’t worry about having ads you don’t want to be associated with, you retain editorial authority over what appears.
84. Linkworth: Linkworth is another text link type advertising program for your blog. You can also get paid to write reviews of products and services, which could work well if they are related to the topic of your blog.
85. shareasale: You can also set up affiliate programs with popular merchants on your blog. You can write reviews of products these merchants sell on your site and for every product sold as a result of your blog you’ll receive a commission. Shareasale will simply put a banner from a particular merchant on your site, and each time it’s clicked you’ll get paid; either a share of the sale or a set amount for the hit.
86. CrispAds: CrispAds will let you put ads on your blog that you have targeted and named the price for, letting you maintain control over your advertising.
87. Performics: Performics provides bloggers with a couple of different advertising programs based on their reader volume and interests as well as an advanced tracking and reporting system.
88. ReviewMe: ReviewMe is a way for bloggers to earn money reviewing and promoting products on their blog. Just remember not to endorse products you don’t really think are good. Be honest with your reviews and you’ll make more money from them.
89. PayPerPost: PayPerPost pays bloggers for doing what they do best. Simply write about other websites, products and services and get paid for providing your opinions and thoughts.
90. Advertising Optimization: The way your ads are laid out on your page can have a big impact on how much money they bring you. Play with the positioning of ads on your site to see what works best, or get some great advice from this article on what works best.

Tracking and Statistics

Keep track of how your blog is doing and get information on how to improve it with these tracking and statistics resources.

91. Screenshot Utility: Don’t make your blog stats public unless you really want to. If advertisers ask to see them, use this screenshot tool to send them a photo of your stats instead.
92. StatCounter: StatCounter is a free web tracker and hit counter that you can use to see who is visiting your website and how they are getting there.
93. BlogPatrol: BlogPatrol can help you keep track of your visitors, referrers, and keywords in convenient status reports.
94. CrazyEgg: CrazyEgg will not only let you see the stats from your site, but it will also create a heatmap, letting you see visually where the hotspots on your page are.
95. SiteMeter: SiteMeter is another tracking site similar to StatCounter.
96. Clickalyzer: Most affiliate and ad programs should come complete with tracking abilities to help you maximize your revenue, but if not you can sign up with Clickalyzer. It can help you keep track of where visitors click on your site and how effective the placement of your ads is.
97. GoogleAnalytics: Another tracking tool, GoogleAnalytics gives you clean, easy to read reports about your site.
98. HitTail and 103Bees: For advice on how to improve your keywording and for suggestions on what to write about, use long tail tracking sites like HitTail and 103Bees.
99. coComment: Keep track of what users are saying on your site and what others have said in response to your comments on other sites with coComment. Comments can give you valuable insights and advice, so it’s a good idea to keep up with them.
100. pMetrics: pMetrics will give you very detailed information on every visitor to your site, allowing you to find out who your audience really is.

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Posted in Uncategorized on September 10th, 2007
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