Blog Critique: Ray Gun Robot

Todays critique is Garrett Albright’s Ray Gun Robot which has the tagline “Tech with Personality” – a good start!

Right away I have a feel for what the blog will be about. Great stuff.

  • I know the name of the blogger
  • The domain and blog name is catchy
  • “Tech” helps define a target audience, the “Personality” aspect tells us it is not going to be “dry”

OK, let’s browse around and see what we can find ..

Initial Impressions

  • Already mentioned the name and orientation, but also there is an “About & Contact” right up at the top of the sidebar. Also very useful
  • Clean template that does not distract from the content
  • Feed and email subscription are also prominently displayed
  • Another good tactic, subscription is also encouraged below each post, along with a digg button
  • As a geek I found the content interesting (aside: I actually worked on a PDP mini computer, they didn’t quite fill a whole room 😉 )
  • Looking at the archives I see it is a new blog, it’s a good start 🙂

My Recommendations

  • It’s Diggable – This blog should be perfectly diggable (if it hasn’t been dugg already) – it’s aimed at the correct target audience and has the appropriate light hearted tone. Make sure you gather lots of friends with digg accounts. Also maximise your use of the other bookmarking and social sites. Take note of the content that rises to the top of Digg and the kinds of headlines used, I am sure you can rock the social media audience.
  • Serialize – Consider making a new post series on a particular topic, for example cover all the popular personal computers from the 80’s or a retro gaming feature. This will serve as some flagship content and also work to keep visitors coming back for extended periods.
  • Heat map – I am not sure how serious you are with the ads but if you want to earn more follow the adsense heat map for ad placement
  • Uniquify – There are tons of blogs on tech so it is hard to stand out, work hard at developing your unique take and content. You are off to a good start with the quirky name and style. Develop your own sources outside of the norm.
  • Network – Make blogger friends, comment and get known. When you develop something you are particularly proud of pitch it to other blogs. Consider starting or participating in memes and carnivals. See if anyone needs a guest post.

In summary it is a really good start and should build to be a popular blog with consistent effort. There is a lot going for this blog and I think all that is required is a bit of blatant promotion 🙂

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