What can I do with my advice blog?

April 15, 2012 7:58 PM

How do I get more attention/participation on my advice blog?

I started an advice blog just for fun when some people had been asking me consistently for advice over a few weeks. I answered questions about relationships, roommate situations, mostly light things. People ask questions anonymously through tumblr. I've been talking about the blog only through my Facebook.

People have told me that they really like it, and I'd like to keep it up. But no one's asking questions.

I've answered five to six questions, and want to keep doing it, but nothing else has been coming in. What are some ways to recharge interest? Some thoughts I had were to write articles about relevant topics, what else?

I know some people feel shy about posting questions to someone they know, and since it's mostly Facebook a lot of them do kind of know me, so it's understandable that if I want to get more questions I need to get the blog out there where strangers can ask things. But I feel like I need to get more "there" there in the blog before I do that.

posted by sweetkid to Computers & Internet (10 answers total)

Best answer: Do what advice columnists have done since the dawn of time: write yourself some "anonymous" questions, and then write answers to them. Continue with this until there's enough interest in your blog that you don't need to do it anymore.
posted by MeghanC at 8:31 PM on April 15, 2012 [3 favorites]

Best answer: Oh--alternatively, since you're on tumblr, blog tags that might be relevant--try tumblr.com/tagged/advice--and answer things there. The original poster will get notified that someone's responded to their post, and you might draw in readers that way.
posted by MeghanC at 8:33 PM on April 15, 2012

Go to Yahoo! Answers and find some questions. They're not asked to you, but generally, so you can pick and choose which of them you can answer. Then answer in the Yahoo thread and post your answers on your blog. Perhaps this will spur other people to ask you their own questions.
posted by inturnaround at 9:08 PM on April 15, 2012

Response by poster: Thanks, great answers so far! The advice blog is not the site linked in my profile, but if you'd like to see it I can send you a link if you memail me.
posted by sweetkid at 9:21 PM on April 15, 2012

If your blog software or whatever doesn't have an Anonymous option, consider something like a Formspring that'd let people submit anonymous questions.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 10:26 PM on April 15, 2012

Response by poster: People ask questions anonymously through tumblr.
posted by sweetkid at 5:10 AM on April 16, 2012

Response by poster: Many people have been asking so I switched out the website in profile to the advice blog.
posted by sweetkid at 10:39 AM on April 16, 2012

would love to reait, will post questions. I think it's okay to link it here. ok to check w/ mods if you're not sure.
posted by theora55 at 11:38 AM on April 16, 2012

to *read* it.
posted by theora55 at 11:42 AM on April 16, 2012

Response by poster: Link is in my profile! I can't add it here because I want to be sensitive to people not thinking I'm using this question to advertise.
posted by sweetkid at 12:24 PM on April 16, 2012