Five Nifty WordPress Features You (Almost Certainly) Didn’t Know About

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:53 AM PDT

Even though I've been using WordPress for close to seven years, I still occasionally come across features that I didn't know about … or had forgotten about.

Whether you're new to WordPress or an old hand, these are some little-known features you've probably not yet tried.

(And if you have? Congratulate yourself on being well ahead of most bloggers!)

#1: Using the Full Screen Writing Mode

If you write your posts straight into WordPress, rather than using Word or Google Docs or similar, this is a really handy feature.

At the top right of your posting box, just below the "Text" tab, you should see a little icon like this:

full-screen-writing

Click on it, and you'll get a full screen editor with a simple toolbar at the top (this disappears when you're writing, and reappears when you run your mouse over it):

full-screen-writing-2

#2: Adding a "Read More" Link

Some blog themes, like the DailyBlogTips one, automatically only display the start of your post on the blog's home page (www.dailyblogtips.com). Others, like the Thesis theme I use on my site Aliventures, will display full posts by default.

If you have a theme like this, the home page can end up very long. You might prefer instead to show the first few paragraphs of a post, then get readers to click to read more.

There's a very simple way to do this in WordPress: you just add a "Read More" link. In the post editor, click where you want to break the post, and then press this button:

read-more-link

#3: Making a Post "Sticky"

New blog posts always appear at the top of your blog, knocking older ones further down … right?

Well, it doesn't have to be that way if you don't want it to be. You can make a post "sticky" and keep it at the top of your blog. (You might have come across the same feature on forums.)

To do this:

When drafting or editing your post, look at the "Publish" options on the top right
For the post's Visibility, click "Edit"
Check the box "Stick this post to the front page" (under the radio button "Public")

make-post-sticky

#4: Using the "Help" Menus

WordPress has tons of flexibility and loads of options … and this can sometimes be a bit of a mixed blessing. If you're ever stuck or struggling to understand something, you can use the Help menu.

Never noticed this before? It appears in the top right of every screen on your WordPress Dashboard:

help-menu

Just click the little dropdown, and a list of help topics will appear:

help-menu-2

#5: Changing Your Screen Options

You might know about this one if you read this DailyBlogTips post a few months ago … but it's such a handy and overlooked feature, I wanted to bring it up again.

Pretty much every screen of your Dashboard has various "Screen Options" (right next to "Help"). This dropdown allows you to change what you see on the screen. For instance, you might find that the "Author" box is missing by default — by turning it on, you can easily reassign a post to a different author.

Here's how it looks when you're adding / editing a post:

screen-options

Most of the options you see will be default ones that come with WordPress, but some may be added by plugins you're using. If there are particular options you don't use on your blog (e.g. tags), then you can declutter your posting screen.

Was one of these features totally new to you? Or did this post remind you of something you'd forgotten about? Let us know in the comments…

Wanna learn how to make more money with your website? Check the Online Profits training program!

Blog Post Introductions: 5 Baited Hooks to Reel in Your Readers [Guest Post] - DailyBlogTips

Blog Post Introductions: 5 Baited Hooks to Reel in Your Readers [Guest Post]

Posted: 08 Jul 2014 08:00 AM PDT

This is a guest post from David Masters.

Your blog readers have the attention span of a goldfish. No, really.

A third of people browsing the web will abandon a web page in under five seconds if it’s still loading.

And research shows that attention spans are now as short as nine seconds – the same as that of a goldfish (a century ago, the average adult had an attention span of 20 minutes).

In other words, you’ve only got a few seconds to hook your readers with your blog posts. Otherwise they’ll go elsewhere for their internet fix.

A reader clicks a link to read your blog posts because your headline grabbed them. Your opening paragraph, also known as a hook, has to keep hold of this hard-won attention. The aim of your hook is to arouse curiosity and keep your readers’ eyes glued to the screen.

Let’s take a look at five powerful (and baited) hooks you can use to reel in your readers.

1. Diagnose a Malady

Your blog posts help readers solve problems, right? You help them with something they’re stuck with. That’s true of most blogs, at least, because being helpful is how you get readers.

So, open your blog post with the problem you’re about to address. Don’t be shy. State it outright. By doing this, you’re showing empathy. Immediately your readers think: “This person gets me, I want to find out how they can help.” You’ve got them hooked.

To make your hook as powerful as possible, ask yourself:

What does this problem look and feel like?
How does it impact their lives? What pain does it cause?
How did they end up with this problem?

Answering these questions will give you a vivid, compelling hook.

2. Spin a Yarn

You hear the words “once upon a time”, and your ears prick up. Our brains are wired to enjoy and listen out for stories. That’s why Americans spend over $10 billion a year going to the cinema.

When you begin your post with a story, go immediately to story’s heart: conflict. Where’s the tension in the story you’re telling? Open with that.

3. Quote Someone Wise

“I've compiled a book from the Internet. It's a book of quotations attributed to the wrong people.” – Jerry Seinfeld

Jokes aside, quotations are a powerful hook. There’s something about seeing a quote that signals things are about to get interesting. I think part of this is because reading quotations is like over-hearing a conversation. You’re getting the inside scoop on the latest gossip.

Quotes also act as social proof. When you quote someone your readers know and like – be it Socrates, Lady Gaga or Daffy Duck – their like for that person rubs off on your blog post.

4. Surprise!

Everyone loves novelty. Coming across something new activates the pleasure centers in the brain. So surprises always get our attention. They’ll get your readers’ attention too.

You can surprise your readers by:

Contradicting common knowledge.
Admitting something about yourself that few people know.
Disagreeing with someone famous (for example, an A-list blogger in your niche).
Using an unusual or shocking metaphor.
Citing a statistic or fact that seems unlikely.

5. Ride the Hot Topics Wagon

An easy win when writing hooks is grab something that’s already at the front of your readers’ minds. To use this hook, write you’re opening line on something you know is occupying their attention.

This could be:

A national or international news story that’s made a big splash.
A national festival or holiday.
The current date. Pretty much every day of the year has something associated with it. There’s even a National Bugs Bunny Day.

Topical hooks are obviously time limited, but they’re powerful while they last. And they’re a great way of coming up with new ideas for your blog.

The Common Link Between All Great Hooks

Writing attention grabbing hooks takes practice, and an eye for what arouses curiosity. There’s no formula that will always work, and the best hooks often break the mold of what’s been done before.

That said, all good hooks have one thing in common: They focus on the reader. Their aim is to pull in the reader, not show off the skills or opinions of the writer.

Keep your readers in mind, and every hook you write will be baited.

Bio: David Masters is a freelance blogger and ebook writer. Learn how to hook every reader from page one is his book, The Wounded Sentence.

Wanna learn how to make more money with your website? Check the Online Profits training program!

Pages

USAHA BERSAMA

Ads 468x60px