Ask Reb Gil

No, this is not about the phenomenon reported by UPI and brought to our attention by R. Yaakov Menken. I don't answer halakhic questions and, once again, remind readers not to put into practice anything they read about here or elsewhere without first consulting with their rabbi. This post is about answering a question on something of which I know a little: blogging.

Here is the question I received:

Reb Gil: How does one publicize one's blog?

I get asked this question fairly often. Here are some suggestions that I have:

1. Put the URL in your e-mail signature so that everyone to whom you send an e-mail, including e-mail lists, will be (repeatedly) notified of your blog.

2. Post meaningful comments to other blogs and put your own blog's URL in the appropriate place. Note that making annoying or meaningless comments just so people can see your URL usually doesn't work.

3. Try exchanging links with other related blogs.

4. Register with J-Rants and Jewish Blogging.

5. If you put up a post that you think will be of interest to other bloggers, send an e-mail to them to let them know. However, do this sparingly or you will annoy your fellow bloggers. And pick the recipients of your e-mails carefully, according to the topic of your post.

6. Look for notifications about the Havel Havalim round-ups of Jewish blogs and try to get your blog mentioned in them.

7. Place a full-page ad in The Jewish Press announcing that you have started a blog.

If readers have other suggestions, please feel free to post them in the comments section.