Blogtipping - Round 1

Since it is now (almost) the first of the month it is time to go blogtipping. What is blogtipping? Blogtipping is a form of blogging carnival run by Easton from BusinessBlogWire and occurs on the first of every month. It involves posting 3 things you like about 3 different blogs and also posting one thing about each that you feel could be improved. On with the blogtipping...

As most new bloggers I have found ProBlogger to be a great source for learning all I can about blogging so why not give Darren some credit for all that he does for us new bloggers.

1. The layout on ProBlogger is one of a kind and really provides for easy navigation, even for first time visitors.
   
2. Keeps readers more involved than most other blogs by having them submit reader tips
   
3. His posts about the newest blogging news are some of the easiest to read and very informative.
   
   Tip: Who am I to tell him what to do, but the one thing I would change on ProBlogger is to link to all of the other blogs he works on. I think with some digging one could find them all but I would make them a little more prominent and easier to find.
   

In return for their help and introducing me to blog tipping, Casual Keystrokes!

1. The header is awesome. Love the photo and the text styles.
   
2. Good concept for a blog. Couple your "work" blog with a similarly-named blog providing a more personal look at the author and their personality.
   
3. Great sidebar graphics. Loved the swirled designs in front of the section titles and good category names.
   
   Tip: Tweak the Adsense ads following your post. They just blend a bit too that I hardly notice them and scan right over them.
   

The Pensblog is actually a competitor to my Pens Insider blog but I like what the author is doing.

1. Nice graphics for each game. Provide an "at-a-glance" look at who the Penguins are playing and what channel they are on.
   
2. Stats section in the sidebar is a good idea and, again, lets readers see just what they are looking for without having to dig through the archives of the site.
   
3. Great links section in sidebar. Provides a good resource for other hockey fans to find other sites with what they are looking for.
   
   Tip: Adding a custom header to the site might give the site the pop it needs to stand out from the nearly all black template.

Hope everyone enjoyed taking a look at the blogs I tipped this month and invite everyone to join in on the fun.

Tags: blog, blogs, blogger, blogging, web, log, logs, business, blogtipping, blog carnival, audience, advice, tips