No matter what type of blog you are running, chances are that you have given readers the ability to get in touch with you. Some bloggers (like me) offer their email address, whereas others use a contact form that is forwarded to the address of their choice.
But the question is: do you answer the emails that you receive at your blog address? I have found through first hand experience that most bloggers are more than willing to answer emails. At the same time, some of the busier and better known bloggers either ignore emails altogether or send off short replies. While I know that these people have tons of email and busy lives, relationships are quite important; at least to me.
I strive to answer every email that I receive. In fact, if I receive a comment that touches me right, I will take the initiative and email that person. This lets them know that I care about what they have to say, and of course, shows that I am willing to lend my expertise when possible.
With all of that being said, I want to let my readers know that they are free to email me with questions, comments, or anything else on their mind. Meeting new people and helping others out is what this blog is all about.
I was not sure how my first contest was going to turn out, but for the most part, I have been pleasantly surprised. While I did not get hundreds of entries, I did break into the double digits.
Congratulations to Michael Kwan for winning contest number 1. Michael is a fellow freelance writer, and runs Beyond the Rhetoric.
For the rest of you guys and gals, no need to worry. I have more contests lined up, and they are sure to be even better than this one. Keep an eye out for contest number 2 in the near future!
How do you test the updates that you make to your blog? If you are tech savvy you may simply know that what you did will work. But for me, or anybody else who does not have a lot of tech skills, this can be a bit difficult.
Although I am working hard to learn a bit more about the technical side of blogging, I am still far behind. It only takes me a minute or so to get plugins working, but when it comes to more difficult tasks such as changing code, I am still working on my skills.
I guess the only way to test blog updates, as well as tech skills, is by trial and error. Until my skills improve, this is the way that I will have to do things. Unless you have a better idea of course?
