Everyone likes a good tips list, and it’s been awhile since I’ve developed one. They can be so annoyingly mundane; however, this topic ought to resonate with many a peer blogger. I’m seeing too many peeps having crises of confidence, and I’m hoping that some of these thoughts will help boost morale, ‘raderie, and support to keep on.
I invite yours; I also invite your selection about which of these you may want to see fleshed out into a more in-depth blog topic. (Heh, then I’ll ask you to write it! Kidding, but I may ask you to join with me on its development.)
Here we go:
1. Give yourself one full year before you cash it in. That means posting a minimum of three times weekly!
2. During that year, expect depression, lack of voice, few comments, fewer RTs, issues about what to write, and general malaise. But, you have to embrace these emotions and push yourself forward.
3. If you struggle with what to write about, then pick a favorite topic and begin writing. Make sure it’s comfy – talk about your grandma’s pie crust; share a story about a book you just read; review a social media book and share why you like it.
4. Focus OUT! If you’re depressed, your writing will be, too. See number three.
5. Select topics that are general, safe, and free of painful emotion. If you’re seeking a support network because of a very personal situation, you may turn away some readers who don’t wish to know that aspect of your life.
6. Try to define who you’re writing for – is it for small businesses like the writing by Ken Mueller, Laura Click or Erica Allison? Is it for sales people like Marcus Sheridan writes at The Sales Lion? When you define your audience, you’ll begin to tailor your writing to them.
7. Do you have a mission? Lisa Gerber at Spin Sucks shared their mission is to change perception about public relations. They develop content with that mission statement squarely in front.
8. How about some goals? Why do you blog? I have peeps who tell me they blog for themselves – just to write; others blog to help inspire and lend support to anyone who’s down and out, and still others blog to earn money.
9. Answer the question “why is blogging important?” Are you just blogging because everyone else is? Do you thrive on pushing the envelope and jumping into the limelight? Are you trying to overcome being an introvert and blogging is the way to do it?
10. Get someone to help you with the design of your “house.” When you write and post in a house that looks nice, clean, and sophisticated, then your content gets a boost, too. There’s a sense of pride that you’ve just built a new home, and you want people to comment positively about that new look and feel.
11. Spend some time on others’ blogs and comment there. See how the comments come alive, and participate actively. Try not to sow your oats in a community forum; it’s best to stay positive and contribute professionally without too much negative energy. You can become uplifted when others are passionate about what they’re saying.
12. Cautiously share your material. You’ll know when you love something you’ve written. That’s when you can distribute it from the roof tops and use ALL the channels available to you – including Triberr, Twitter, Facebook and Google+. You’re aware of the various ways these channels bring new readers over to your blog, right?
13. Do a round-up of your favorite bloggers for a #FollowFriday post. Bookmark your faves, and repeat them as a weekly feature, but be sure to share why you’re calling people out. Has a post hit home with you? Did you notice a ton of cool comments and were impressed by that? Others who follow you will be impressed with your generosity (that of sharing and recognizing peers, mentors, and others you appreciate). You know who always does this is @nittygriddyblog. She’s amazing.
14. You can do the same with a theme – select a topic you like; it could be stamp collecting or parenting or dachshunds. Find all the bloggers you can on each of these topics and share them; or, begin writing your own “how-to” series on a topic and link back to others as resources.
15. Interview someone and write a story.
16. Launch a weekly Q&A – you ask the questions and ask your favorite peeps to answer.
17. You might think this list is about how to write good content for a blog; however, when you become comfortable about your content, then you also become inspired and excited about blogging.
18. I cannot stress how important it is to be inspired and excited when you blog. People want to feel your passion about a topic; when you’re earnest about something, then others want a piece of that, too. And, they want to share their own experiences, or join your community and participate.
19. Energy; POSITIVE energy. I just commented on Alaska Chick’s blog for the first time, and this woman is a newbie blogger, yet she’s crushing it with her positive energy. She’s Amber-Lee Dibble, and you may see her commenting on blogs; she’s everywhere.
20. Brand yourself appropriately – Amber-Lee, may I pick on you here? You tweet @GirlyGrizzly; you sign your name Amber-Lee, and your blog is Alaska Chick, yet your company is something else entirely — something like Pioneer XX. Regardless, I’m confused what you’re branding, and with that confusion lack of confidence may follow.
21. Ask questions and no question is stupid; it’s the only way to learn. Here’s a funny story about my foray into blogging – I had no idea I had to upload WordPress.org as the foundation for my self-hosted blogging platform. I tried to upload Headway Themes first and of course failed miserably. When I kept asking questions of the Headway developers, I became persona non grata – they didn’t have time for a dumb broad’s questions, yet I was their audience! I was a wet-behind-the-ears blogger who knew nothing about the tech back end of a blog!
22. Admit your weaknesses, ask for help and add someone to your team who knows what you don’t. I use the word “team” loosely. My weakness is the tech back end; see #21, but I’ll struggle to DIY and fail! Only then I’ll ask for help. I’ve since added a great tech expert, @CarbonSpace. He’s Dwight Maskew, and he was recommended to me from a Twitter pal. (I recommend him; run, but I have first dibs.)
23. If you’re having a tough time blogging every day, keep that to yourself. Try not to air your laundry to the entire sphere; work around your roadblocks by taking a day off from the whole thing. Put it aside until you’re interested in seeking inspiration again.
24. Don’t be afraid to overhaul your blog’s look and feel. You’ll never stop doing this, but your house needs to be in order because it’s the first impression that’s the strongest.
25. Gingerly approach and master voice. Early on in this list I provided many ways to develop content; this was intentional. When I started I had no voice; I wasn’t confident about what the heck I was saying, and the writing was poor, forced, and uninteresting. Because I read everything, I take inspiration from articles in Ad Age, BusinessWeek, Fast Company, The Wall Street Journal, Inc., and other publications. (I still do.) When I saw an article that prompted a serious reaction, I sat down and wrote about it. And, I wrote with conviction that a company was wrong, right, or had erred in judgment. Conviction begets passion, and people appreciate a good opinion. What are you passionate about?
26. When you get a commenter to visit, embrace them. Do not treat people like persona non grata if they only pop in once every two weeks or less. People are very busy, and your blog is out of sight and out of mind. When you do #13, you nearly guarantee people are popping in to pay you homage for the link love. If they like what they see, they will come back again, and it’s OK to nudge the people you most want back! (I love an invitation and reminder. There are so many places and people to see; it becomes challenging to visit everyone’s house.) Shakirah Dawud just wrote about this at Deliberate Ink!
27. Before you ask for help about your blog; know whether you’re prepared for brutal honesty. In my first year, someone asked me “Why are you blogging again? You’ve had a rough go of it the last five weeks.” I nearly threw in the towel; honestly! I was discouraged, depressed, and knew this was not for me. And then I got all mad and said, “Who the flip does he think he is? I’ll show him!”
28. If you’re really down and out about blogging, look introspectively for a moment. Are the kids driving you insane? Are you and the partner having issues? Are you struggling to find a paying gig? Did you recently lose your job? Is it summer and are you just too crazed to be inspirational? Did you recently lose a family member or friend and you’re mourning? It’s life people! Life rocks our world, and that’s expected to influence blogging, too. Take a breather…it’s OK to go on hiatus until you get your mojo back.
29. Rather than hang out at the power bloggers’ houses, select a mid-tier group of bloggers (who also are experts in their own right) and hang out there. It’s less chaotic, the pace is less frenetic, the comments are not fast and furious, and you’ll earn respect and support in ways you’ll never expect. (Not that you don’t over at Gini’s, Danny’s, or Mark’s…)
30. KEEP ON! Do not stop; do not lose your moxie or mojo. If you do make that decision; however, know that you can always turn the switch back to “on.” And, when you do, that journey may take you on an entirely different pathway where new peeps you’ve never met become your best supporters.
What might you add? Which tip might you like to see as a deeper exploration?
Wow, Jayme — a very comprehensive and great list. I think the fact that I came to blogging from a business perspective has helped with a lot of the emotional things that you mention. Businesses take time to develop, so it didn’t bother me when I had few to no comments in month 1. I think it is harder for those who write about personal matters, pouring their heart out on the page and not getting a response.
Great tips, but I must say, the combination of #7 and #30 are the most important — know the WHY behind your blogging and keep on keepin’ on. 🙂
I do have a blog that’s been on hiatus called The SMB Collective, Adam. I need to get its design back up to par, and summer must be over for me to manage two blogs. I’m seeking new writers for the community. The blog is still there and the hows and whys of it, too. Please go to https://smbcollective.com and take a look if you’d like?
With your business goals, this might be a great place for you to join me and share your experiences. I don’t really understand your branding Intense Fence at all, and now that you’re experiencing a blogging for business excursion, you just might like the additional exposure there, too. Thanks for sharing, and always a guest post here!
Great stuff, Jayme, and thanks for including me. I particularly think #1 is crucial. You have to be consistent. I tried that, and now I can’t stop!
You’re on fire, Man. It’s amazing to see.
Ditto Jayme, Ken–I’ve been favoriting a lot of yours. Thank you.
WTH, are you going to start posting daily? I’ll make a deal with you; give me 1-2 a week of yours and let me put my name on it every other week and if it’s really good I will at least say you helped me with it.
I embraced a commenter once and got a restraining order so now I just say hello.
Stupid is as stupid does and I’ve been pretty naive; can you say dumb luck?
These are very good pointers and a good guide to follow. It’s tough when you want to be able to consistently write something readable that appeals to your audience.
Thanks for sharing ma’am; hope you have a great day.
Dude, I blog when the inspiration hits me. Over the weekend I wrote 2.5 guests posts and 2.5 of my own. Not sure what happened. It was that @jennwhinnem girl — the topic took everyone by surprise…you remember, she guest posted at @ericamallison:disqus house, I mean she guest posted right here in my house.
You want me to GP for you? I have no idea what I’d say to your community; they think you’re invisible; I’m NOT!
I am thought-provoking, if nothing else! Still owe @ericamallison:twitter a post…
Keep it coming, Girlie! I love how you introspect on things. Pushes the envelopes.
I can tell you what NOT to write on if you need any suggestions………………just sayin’………
Yes, yes you do!
I already have some GP’s lined up, but would love to get you in at the appropriate time. I’m pretty sure you can say just about anything you want at my place, because I do. Provided I have any community left after @twitter-54546555:disqus post last weekend. My readers don’t need to be seeing that kind of nonsense.
I think the most important part of that entire list is persistence. It can take months for someone to find their “blogging voice.” Once found then the roll begins! Until then it can be difficult especially when not getting many comments or social shares. However that doesn’t mean people aren’t listening – another reason to have analytics on your site.
One item I’d add to the list is trying all sorts of different styles of posts. Stir up some controversy or create an enormous list of tips as you have here. Blogging *shouldn’t* be a chore – it should be enjoyable. If you quit too early you may never have that joy.
Excellent points, Robert! I didn’t include analytics on purpose, but it’s definitely part of the successful blogging equation — now I need to heed my own (and your) counsel, eh? Great seeing you here; thank you!
I ain’t adding anything, I am just loving it all! Very comprehensive and absolutely applicable!
I am almost a year into blogging and now that I think I’ve learned the tricks and trade (I hope I have!) I am thinking of starting something new, more serious but a hell lot more fun! 🙂 Might steal all of the ideas of others bloggers too 😉 !
Will you please share a link to your blog? Would love to reciprocate. Thanks for your kind acknowledgment…I bet you do have tips from your first year, Hajra! Everyone does, and these are nearly all mine from direct experience!
https://hajrak.blogspot.com
You won’t find me as often there now; it is Ramadan so I am blogging lesser. I am also a team member at weblogbetter.com
When you surface, will you let me know? I’d like to pop in and see more about what you have to say!
Whoa, what a comment! You know, it’s actually funny–I feel much more comfortable these days about posting on my blog. But posting to LinkedIn–I hesitate and make sure I’m talking to people who can appreciate or learn from what I have to say before I hit Share. People do not hold back in forums. Even for something innocuous like “the sky is blue” I’ve gotten “Bah, humbug!” comments.
If someone is blogging for business purposes, it really helps to be in touch with both sides: colleagues and customers. It really helped anchor my confidence as I started getting feedback from each side and noticing what both parties like or dislike.
I got a few comments about the image I chose (on Twitter), and I hesitated a tad when posting this to LinkedIn, so I referenced the image there. Interesting, eh?
Super list. Would you say that each step is as important as the last? Have you ever encountered an instance where a blogger failed to pay heed to one and thus got into some hot blogging water?
Great question, Emma. I wrote these more as a stream of conscious based on my own experiences. Gosh, I have no idea if others may or may not heed these tips for their own experiences. I’d say everyone has a somewhat different pathway to share; however, the most general thoughts will apply to everyone.
I’m seeing people uncomfortable with the perseverance — it takes amazing stick-to-it-ness to make blogging come alive. And, even so, there will still be life’s ruts that become a roadblock!
So, great seeing you here; I love that; thanks!
Yeah, I’ve always wondered about list posts, in that, are the authors structuring the list to cater to a specific order? Or is the concept behind the list more just about getting a bevy of ideas out onto paper (so to speak) for the benefit of others? I’m glad to hear your take, and I think it’s similar to mine, in that lists are not necessarily indicative of order of importance. Thanks for following up, looking forward to more great posts from you! 🙂
I do that too, sometimes, mostly with lists of 3, 5, or 10 :).
Woohoo! I feel like you need a “Go get ’em, Tiger” at the end of this list! I hope newbies and seasoned bloggers alike check this out. I think as you said at the beginning and the end, persistence is key. You have to keep on, keepin’ on. You won’t be successful at blogging overnight. It takes months, or even years to get to a place where your traffic is steadily humming along and people hare commenting and tweeting everywhere. You have to work hard and then be patient to reap the benefits.
Great tips, friend!
Great list here, Jayme!
We all go through growing pains finding our voice. I remember when I first came on to New England Multimedia, I had no idea what to write about! I had an idea about my audience, but didn’t know where to find them.
I was just showing Scott @MarkWSchaefer’s Twitter feed last night, and then popped over to show him Mark’s blog. Mark has a great mix of content on his website, and on Twitter, he’s got just the right balance of sharing his own posts while sharing posts he recommends, and really building authentic community. I suggest everyone pop over to see how he does it, and then start at home with your own community!
Sage counsel, Michelle! From one of the best on the ‘sphere.
G’Day Jayme,
Great stuff: particularly about sticking with it. I’ve been known to say that writing is a physical activity. Thinking aint writing. one more thing: remember this quote by Mark Twain. “It aint what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for certain that just aint so.”
I
For a long time now I’ve believed that it’s most important to know what you don’t know.
Make sure you have fun
Regards
Leon
Curmudgeonly and contrary? Love. It.
Excellent advice Jayme. I was very fortunate to discover early on that I needed to learn a new skill set to be a blogger. I’ve found that the best way to build my skills is to read a lot of blogs, and ask bloggers lots of questions. I was able to set up my site (with Headway) with help from Twitter friends, and I’ve also learned a bit of CSS and HTML (but don’t ask me what those acronyms stand for!).
Another tip I would like to add is to attend #blogchat on Sunday, 6pm Pacific/9pm Eastern. It’s a jam-packed hour of valuable blogging info. Plus, once a month, @MackCollier has everyone give feedback on 3 different blogs (selected and reviewed in advance). Even though my site hasn’t been reviewed, I still learn lots of great tips.
I think the Twitter chats tip slipped my mind; it was there! I’m glad you brought this up and added it, Marianne. I’ve been on #blogchat once, and I have to caution newbie bloggers that it’s a frenetic forum and can be a tad overwhelming. So, stick with it! There are a ton of valuable tips on many chats, as you’ve shared. Thanks, Marianne!
I do things differently, but I am a big advocate of write, write, write and write some more. Stop worrying about being perfect and put pen to paper. Writing improves with practice and if you don’t do this consistently you don’t improve.
People are extremely self-critical, eh?
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This is great Jamie! I’m nine months in (can’t believe that) and I’ve had to do many of those steps. WHERE WAS THIS POST NINE MONTHS AGO! LOL
Lori
Hey, Lori…That’s funny. There’s still three months to go, and then you can write the book! ~Jayme
Love steps 1 & 2 as they are both directly related. Nothing can trigger the blues like sitting down to write and hearing the internal critic sharpening her nails. Thanks for sharing!
We are our own worst enemies when it comes to writing, right Jennifer?!
Although I thought there were many great points here, one I liked a lot Jayme, that you don’t see mentioned much in the blogosphere, is the ‘don’t air your dirty laundry’ advice. Personally, when I hear bloggers yapping about how they’re uninspired, have nothing to write about, and don’t feel like writing, something goes off in my head that says, ‘This guy/gal is finished’….and I then find myself paying less attention to the person because I feel they likely won’t be around before long anyway. The dirty little secret of blog networking (which I’m going to write about soon) is that folks have a tough time supporting/helping a blogger they feel is going to fade off into the sunset within a month’s time.
Marcus
Marcus, thanks. I have noticed this response more frequently, and I, too, catch the negative vibe and decide to spend time in places that deliver positive energy. Each of has our own trials to overcome and no one likes to be reminded about hardship on a regular basis.
Thanks for stopping in!
Hi, I just discovered your blog and Im so glad I did. 🙂 I absolutely loved your post, it has captured every emotion I am feeling right now – I am still in my first year of blogging. I think I am going to bookmark it and refer to it often, or even better write a post and link to it. Great job and nice to meet you. 🙂
Marya! Thank you so very much! I’m so pleased you liked the tips — everyone’s experience the first year is different yet the path is the same; does that make sense? All I can say is keep on…Marcus Sheridan, below, is a keen example of perseverance. You ought to check out The Sales Lion; lots of good stuff there! Thank you again!
G’Day Jayme,
These are really terrific tips. I’ve only been blogging for a little over a year. I found them most helpful.
May I add two more:
31 Don’t take yourself too seriously.
32 Make sure you have fun.
There are times when I just can’t help myself. This has been one of them.
Make sure …….
Regards
Leon
Dear Leon…how did I miss this incredible counsel? I musta been having too much fun. Now, what’s for lunch?
Thanks Jayme, I can’t tell you how much your encouragement and this post helped me. I’m plugging along and am setting the goal of 3/week blog posts and I’m definitely going to print and keep this for a reference when I lose perspective or encounter waning confidence. Well written, great points, how the heck did you get in my head? haha the best writers always do… keep it up girl, you rock!
So glad I could be of service, Lady Lou. (I’m gonna start yodeling soon; do they do that in Tennessee?) Seriously, send me some links to that new blog of yours and I’ll bring the peeps!