27 Lessons About Blogging

If you aren’t sure a post is good, sit on it for a day. If you still aren’t convinced, delete it. A bad post is worse than no post. Bad posts make people question if your blog is worth reading. When you make a bad post (and you will) learn from it and move on.
Below you will find a summary of all the points, the full description is on his blog:

1. Help people solve a problem and differentiate yourself
2. Be prepared to invest 2-3 years before seeing any serious returns
3. Make it as easy as possible for people to subscribe to your RSS feed
4. Offer a full feed
5. A bad post is worse than no post
6. Be prepared to completely run out of ideas after the first 3-4 months
7. It’s not always what you know, who you know is important too
8. Write catchy headlines and list posts
9. Make the opening paragraph as compelling as possible
10. Courteously encourage friends, family, and casual acquaintances to vote up and link to your posts
11. Don’t write every post for the social sites
12. Listen carefully to every piece of feedback but don’t be a slave to it
13. Experiment. Take chances. Piss a few people off
14. Always look for a different angle
15. Don’t participate in every meme or trade links with everyone who asks
16. Write about your life in a way that’s relevant to your topic
17. Make people think
18. Don’t be anxious to plaster Google Ads all over the place
19. Design matters
20. Posting comments on other blogs is overrated
21. Respond to your commenters
22. Obsessively reading other blogs and checking traffic stats are not productive activities
23. Once you have a bit of success don’t flaunt it
24. Make use of blog carnivals
25. Display your best posts on every page
26. Read blogs about blogging
27. Do what works for you

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37 Ways to Make Blogging Easier

1. Plan out content with pen and paper.
2. Dedicate time each week to think of ideas.
3. Make it easy to record ideas.
4. Build a life of unique experiences.
5. Use WriteRoom for typing.
6. Set limits on the time allowed for writing.
7. Always have a large backlog of content.
8. Follow a lower frequency of posts.
9. Capture interesting tid bits you find with Evernote.
10. Be passionate.
11. Write about a broader niche.
12. Take extended breaks.
13. Don’t write till you drop – stop writing when you’re on a roll.
14. Follow clear structures in your content (headings, sub-headings, bullet points etc).
15. Pick a predominant medium.
16. Ask visitors what they want.
17. Make every piece of content count.
18. Never stop reading and learning.
19. Set higher standards for yourself as motivation.
20. Forget word count – say more with less.
21. Identify the time when brainstorming for you is most effective and stick with that.
22. The moment it’s not fun: STOP! (and come back to it later)
23. Experiment with different mediums.
24. Clear your head with exercise, good food and a glass of water.
25. Write down EVERY idea, no matter how silly it may seem.
26. Clear off other items from your to-do list.
27. Ask visitors to help with research – have them send in quotes etc.
28. Believe in what you’re saying.
29. Be both topical and non-topical.
30. Don’t overthink it – your content is not set in stone.
31. Think in lists.
32. Always be creating content (if only in your mind).
33. Trust that what you have to say is important.
34. Plug your niche(s) into the Adwords keyword tool.
35. Monitor what related blogs are saying.
36. Add variety to your workflow.
37. Be ruthless. If you’re not feeling an article, delete it. 

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18 Blog Tips to Help You Succeed in 2011

Over a week ago, we welcomed the arrival of 2010 with much anticipation. 2009 was a year many people simply wanted to forget and move on from. For bloggers everywhere, the beginning of a new year is a reinvigorating time to reflect on the past year and look forward to the promise of the future ahead.
So, how did your blog fare in 2009? Regardless of the level of success you achieved there is always room to improve. Let’s take a look at 18 timeless blogging tips on how to improve your blog and stand above the competition.

 1. Judge a blog by its cover – If it doesn’t look pretty, people have a hard time focusing on what you have to say. Take a look at the home page of your blog, focusing on the uppermost region (without scrolling down). Would you want to take a look around after arriving on the home page as a new visitor?

2. Comment smartly and consistently – Bloggers are tired of seeing the overused “Nice post!” or “This is really interesting!” Stand out by trying to put some thought into your comments and, most importantly, make it sound like you actually read the article.

3. Get a Gravatar- Before you start commenting on blogs, it’s a good idea to register your own gravatar. If you follow step 2, readers and blog owners will become familiar with you for better or for worse.

4. Show your personality in your writing – Establishing a voice in your writing is a crucial element is producing content that people will want to keep coming back over and over again for more. Don’t be that Average Joe in a sea of Average Joes.

5. Use plenty of pictures in your blog posts – No one wants to see endless blocks of text, especially while reading online. The moment your readers’ mind wanders off, they’ll be jumping to another site before you know it. Here are some great sources for finding images: Flickr, Photobucket, picapp, Google Image Search.

6. Study SEO like your life depended on it - Driving traffic to your blog through search engines is what you call “organic traffic.” Other types include referral sites, and direct traffic. Of the three mentioned, organic traffic is what you need to be able to sustain long-term visibility of your blog. To help you get started, take a look at this comprehensive guide on SEO: The Definitive Guide to Higher Rankings For Your Blog.

7. Start with a WordPress.com blog and then switch over to a self-hosted WordPress blog - Three reasons to use WordPress: 1) Lots of people use it 2) Recognition and reputation 3) Strong support. If you are just started blogging, I recommend you get a free WordPress.com blog to get your feet wet. It can’t hurt you to do so and besides, what’s the rush?

8. Avoid grammar mistakes by proofreading – One thing that really annoys me about a blog is poor grammar. If you were listening to your teacher lecture about quantum physics and his grammar is dreadful, you would want to leave that class in a heartbeat. Same thing with blogs. You came looking for value but it’s all mixed up with a misplaced “has” and “their” and terrible spelling. Would you want to keep reading? Probably not.

9. Make you blog content rich in media – In my Studio Art class last quarter, we studied about human culture and psychology (Shrug). It would’ve been the most boring class in my entire schedule if my professor had not included numerous videos and other media into out 1- 1/2 hour long lectures. It kept me attentive and engaged. and helped me connect topics more cohesively. In other words, utilize the power of Youtube and other media sources and incorporate them accordingly into your blog content.

10. Figure out your niche and stick to it – If someone asked you what your blog was about, would you be able to answer without hesitation? If not, write down in 140 characters or less(no pun intended) a succinct and clear definition of what your blog is about. E.g: Pet Food Blog- The Blog where Pet Owners can Learn How to Better Feed Their Beloved Pets. The second important thing is “to keep the main the main thing.” If you feel like writing a post about electron polarization and its effect on our ecosystem (shrug), do you really think that readers to your Pet Food Blog would appreciate it?

11. Blog on a set schedule – There is no right answer to how often one should blog. Whatever schedule you start out with, make sure you stick with it every week. Take for example, Mashable. After visiting the site a couple of times, you can safely expect to see a new article every single day. The important thing is that they stick with that routine.

12. Reply to comments on your blog – Replying to questions or comments from readers is your way of letting people know that your blog is “alive.” It gives readers the opportunity to interact and engage in conversation. Best thing of all? It artificially inflates the true number of people who comment on your blog. Very sweeeeeet.

13. Make it easy for readers to navigate your blog – If it takes more than 3 seconds to look for a search bar or category list on your blog, than your site’s navigation needs to be improved. No one likes the feeling of being in an unfamiliar place with no directions to their destination. They feel desperate, unhappy, and hopeless. The thing with being lost in an unfamiliar site as opposed to being lost in a shopping mall is that readers can easily exit with a single click of a button. This will definitely not help your blog traffic.

14. Put an author section in your blog posts – No one wants to read material written by a face-less author, let alone by one without a name. Check out this article by Chris Spooner on how you to create your own author section.

15. Forget about the stats – How much time do you spend checking the stats of traffic to your blog? You’ll be amazed by how much more productive you will be if you focus on maximizing the time you spend writing new blog posts instead. One method to fight off your debilitating addiction for numbers is to disconnect your computer from the internet. Say what?! Yep, that’s right. If you can’t get online, you can’t get look at your stats. Pull out Microsoft Word and start writing your next blog post there. It’ll work out. Trust me.

16. Don’t think about making money…at first – If making money from your blog is your primary goal, I will not argue against that. The problem with focusing solely on money in the beginning is that you lose sight of the far more significant goal every new blog must reach first: quality content. What good will you provide your readers if you only post hundreds of affiliate links and self-promotional articles in the hope of winning people’s credit card numbers? Don’t be greedy. Money is great but don’t let it destroy your blog.

17. Write killer headlines - With eye-catching headlines, you have effectively completed over 50% of your blog’s advertising. Tell me, would you rather read an article titled, “How to Cook Delicious Spaghetti Sauce” or “How to Make Your Spaghetti Sauce Taste Orgasmic” ? (I apologize if you were eating) Anyways, the point is to avoid the overused and generic blog titles and strive for ones that are unique and thought-provoking.

18. Guest post – Don’t let the thought of submitting your written articles to other reputable blogs intimidate you. Remember, if you don’t try, how can you possibly succeed?
So what are you waiting for? 2010 is almost over! Time waits for nobody!

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5 Lessons I’ve Learned for Blogging Survival

When I started my blog seven months ago I was not aware of the challenges I will be facing. I thought that having the essential knowledge in building a blog and basic writing skills was enough to bring me to success. But I was dead wrong! Never would I have imagined that maintaining a blog is hard work requiring strict discipline and unbending will to keep on going.
Many times I felt like giving up. I feel depressed knowing the fact that I’m the only audience of my own blog. Nobody seems to care about what I write. Not even a single comment was received to encourage me to pursue. I’m sure established bloggers have experience this scenario once in their blogging careers.
Fortunately, I never give up. Instead of wallowing on a perceived defeat I studied why I am not making any progress; it’s amazing how one can learn if he truly seek. The reason most bloggers fail is that they don’t take the necessary moves to study their approach concerning the ineffectiveness of their methods. As I learn from my mistakes, my blog evolved.

Here are the lessons I’ve learned that have benefited my blogging endeavors tremendously:

1. Learning to see what works and what doesn’t. And doing something about it
In our efforts to build a successful blog, we implement methods to put us closer to this end. However, most of us fail to see that some of the strategies we use does not work for us in any way. Expecting that our methods are full proof, we are under the impression that it will work. And when we finally realize that it doesn’t, we stop without reconsidering our approach. It is wise consider the fact that what works for others may not work for you. Many otherwise successful bloggers commit this fatal error.
2. Discouragement is part of the struggles of blogging
Discouragements will always be a part of any struggles to succeed. The catch though is not to wallow on it. Instead of harboring the feeling that our efforts seem not to fruitful, we should find ways to make us more effective in our blogging endeavors. Looking for ways to fortify our endeavors could prove helpful than entertaining the “fact” that we are failing.

3. Giving up is the greatest mistake you will ever make
One powerful attitude of a successful blogger is perseverance. Unfortunately, few are wise enough to accept this challenge. Who said success would be easy? If we want to achieve our goals, we have to face the struggles inherent in its pursuit. As we work our way through, there will be times when all our effort seems to be not paying off, and the idea of giving up beckons its comforting release. But we should be smart enough not to fall for it. What most of us don’t realize is that every difficulty we face is a test of our determination. Giving up easily means we are not determined enough to make an achievement.

4. Allow time to do its work. Never fall for instant gratification
In these fast times, most of us want immediate result. But never attempt to employ this kind of rush in blogging. Every road to success requires time to achieve. Every method we use in enhancing our blog needs time to arrive at an ideal result. Impatience on this aspect leads to unwise decision making. In whatever endeavors we are working with our blogs—be it community building, social networking, link building, site promotion—always remember that result comes with time.

5. Hard work pays off
We will never know how good it feels like once we enjoy the fruits of our labor. While most inexperienced bloggers run from the idea of hard work, some are wise enough to take its challenge; these kinds of blogger knows what it takes to succeed online. Building a solid foundation on our blogs requires hard work, but the reward we get far exceeds the sacrifice we have given.
There are still more lesson I will learn along the way, but the learning I have acquired above are the most important. Success is an option available to us all. By choosing to succeed in blogging, we commit ourselves to take on the responsibility of facing all the challenges that will come, and winning at all cost. 

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6 Ways to be Kind to Your Readers

Kindness can go a long way, regardless of what you are trying to accomplish. If you are trying to build a popular blog, well, you might wanna be kind to your readers, as this will improve the chances of them coming back and becoming part of your community. Below you’ll find 6 tips for this purpose.

1. Kill or shorten introductions. They are often unnecessary and can make your post longer but not better. Every time you find yourself writing an intro, ask yourself if it’s necessary for the reader to understand what you’re trying to say. If it’s not, then just cut to the chase.

2. Champion quality over quantity. Sometimes the obsession for a certain amount of posts begins to infiltrate our consciousness. People are reading our posts for what they have to say, not because you just wrote another one. So if you’re only capable of writing one good post a week, then stick with that. Your readers will respect you for it. This concept is especially important to observe when you consider the competition. Your posts have to compete with other A-listers in your niche. How’s a mediocre post going to do that?

3. Commit to having every post be entertaining. For example, I had a long blogging hiatus. While I could have written a post explaining to my audience that it’s going to be a while before I write another post, I concluded that would be the most boring post in the world.
That said, when you just have to get that informational post out there–make it as entertaining as humanly possible regardless of the boring nature of the subject. Humor can work well here.

4. Write clearly. The sign of a great writer is when their readers can start from the beginning of the page and get to the bottom without having to read any sentence twice. Do you have that kind of clarity and simplicity in your writing?

5. Keep your posts as short as possible. Blogging is not about us the authors–it’s aboutthem, the readers. So if you have a post that “requires” 1000 words, see if you can be extremely concise and get it down to 700. Or to put it another way,
“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.”~Hans Hofmann

6. Step up your game. This isn’t the most conventional way to be kind to your readers, but blogging is highly competitive. Show your readers on a regular basis that your writing is getting more concise, more compelling as well as more entertaining. The best way to do this is to read more, write more and think more. Every few months your writing should not only get better, but it should also become more creative. You should be evolving all the time.
“You can raise the bar or you can wait for others to raise it, but it’s getting raised regardless” says Seth Godin.
What will you do this week to show more kindness to your readers?

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10 Things Bloggers Should NOT Do

Every now and then I will see a list of things bloggers should do, but I notice people are not that inclined to do what they are asked to do, while they pay more attention to things they should NOT do. That is why I decided to create the list below. Here we go:

1. You Must Not Expect Results Overnight: This is happening everywhere and that is the major reason why a large percentage of bloggers fail. Many bloggers come online unprepared and with the wrong set of expectations. They think blogging is a bed of roses and they only need to write one or two posts and begin to make money right away. Wrong!

2. You Must Not Ignore Your Readers: Some bloggers start gaining traction fast, and after a while they start to make their blogs gravitate around themselves. That is, they start talking exclusively about themselves, about the things they like, about how cool they are and so on. Big mistake. Your blog is about your readers, not about you.

3. You Must Not Scrape Another Bloggers Content: This is funny but nowadays you will see many new bloggers who don’t even know the basics, and yet they start to scrape another bloggers content. Often times these people won’t even credit the source. You can’t get far with this attitude.

4. You Must Not Expect Success Without Promoting: Many people think blogging is like setting up a shop at the road side and that all they need to do is wait for people to start finding them. Build and they will come, as the saying goes. This unfortunately is not true. Even if you have great content you’ll need to work your butt off getting people to visit your blog and read it.

5. You Must Not Be Another Blogger: This is so common among many bloggers nowadays. They no longer want to be themselves, they now want to be one popular blogger they know. It is like using the “fake it till you make it” strategy. Will it work over the long term? No. So keep it real.

6. You Must Not Fail To Update Your Blog Regularly: You will see some bloggers telling you they want to be a problogger, only to leave their blog without updates for weeks. If you can’t commit to updating your blog regularly, why would you expect people to commit to reading it regularly?

7. You Must Not Ignore SEO: Nowadays, you will see many bloggers not optimizing their blogs for search engines, if you ask them why, they will say they don’t know SEO. The real answer, however, is “Because I am lazy.” Don’t be lazy and learn what you must if you want to make your blog popular.

8. You Must Not Ignore Networking: You should never underestimate the power of networking. As people say, it is about who you know and now about what you know in the long run.

9. You Must Not Have An Unreadable/Unnavigable Site: Many people think blogging is all about your content. No! Blogging is far more than your content. You should work on making sure your site is easily navigable and that readers can easily get what they want without looking twice. Usability is a big factor on the web.

10. You Must Not Throw Mud Around: Some new bloggers that if they attack other people or bloggers, they might create a buzz and increase their traffic levels. This might be true in the short run, but over the long term such attitude will create many enemies and burn yourself.

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Most Bloggers Forget This Simple Rule. Do You?

When I wrote “most bloggers” in the title, I was including myself. In fact I forget this rule 80% of the time probably. Want to know what rule I am taking about? It is this one:

Include one image on each blog post you publish.

This rule is important for a couple of reasons. First of all adding images to your blog posts will help you capture the attention of distracted readers and encourage them to read your post.

Second, having images around will improve the design of your blog and make it more appealing.

Third, images can be a good source of search engine traffic, especially every post you publish has one (i.e., over time the combined traffic you’ll get for your images will add up).

So why do most bloggers forget this simple rule? Probably because they get lazy over time. That is my case at least. The solution is to force yourself to add those images initially, until you develop the habit.

where to find images for your blog. 
I mention one paid and two free sources there, so money is not an excuse.

When I wrote “most bloggers” in the title, I was including myself. In fact I forget this rule 80% of the time probably. Want to know what rule I am taking about? It is this one:

Include one image on each blog post you publish.

This rule is important for a couple of reasons. First of all adding images to your blog posts will help you capture the attention of distracted readers and encourage them to read your post.

Second, having images around will improve the design of your blog and make it more appealing.

Third, images can be a good source of search engine traffic, especially every post you publish has one (i.e., over time the combined traffic you’ll get for your images will add up).

So why do most bloggers forget this simple rule? Probably because they get lazy over time. That is my case at least. The solution is to force yourself to add those images initially, until you develop the habit.

Check out this post if you don’t know where to find images for your blog. I mention one paid and two free sources there, so money is not an excuse.

iStockphoto
I started using iStockphoto (referral link) only recently because I was reluctant to pay for images. “There are free resources out there, why should I pay then?” That was my reasoning, but I changed my mind after taking a look at the quality and variety of their database.

For most blogs the small format will suffice, and they cost $1 a pop. I think that is a reasonable price, specially if you consider that the quality of the images can separate your blog from the pack.

Stock.Xchng
While I like iStockphoto, I also like to save money. Most of the times before going to their site I will check some free resources to see if I can find a suitable image. My favorite one is Stock.Xchng.

The site has a smaller database, but the quality of the images is good enough. Another benefit is that you don’t need to register up (unless you want special image formats), just right click and “Save image as.”

Yotophoto
Yotophoto is a search engine that will look for royaly-free images on several places around the Internet (including Stock.Xchng, Flickr, Wikipedia, Morguefile and others).

The quality of the images is not so good, but it can be useful if you are looking for something very specific.

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Why “Writing a Post a Day for 30 Days” Is a Brilliant Deception

They were so excited about starting in blogging. They tuned their themes and placed RSS buttons, they wrote their posts and submitted guest posts. They’ve done everything themselves to make their guests feel at home.

The only thing that didn’t do right was outsourcing the reason to blog to the Goal.

Now nobody knows their names and their blogs are sitting quietly waiting for time to take their domain names back to bits they’ve arrived from.

It wasn’t just any goal that destroyed them, but a particularly appealing Goal. The Goal of “writing a blog post every day for 30 days”.

At first it seems like it’s inncuous. I mean “write a blog post” – that seems fair, “every day” – that’s about right, “for 30 days” – I can do it.

But there’s a great evil lurking underneath this niceness that leads to wasted effort and exhaustion.

The first part of evil is that if you’ve set this goal – you obviously chose a wrong topic for your blog. Nobody that chosen the right topic had to setup a goal to write on it.

Most of successful blogger had chosen the topic so important to them that their friends actually have a goal “Make John shut up about [that topic]” in their New Year Resolutions. That’s the topic John should’ve chosen.

Admit it – you would feel stupid setting up a goal to “watch my favorite TV show a day for 30 days”? You are probably starting to feel the first part of “why”.

The Internet gets more and more new blood every day. Some of those guys actually write about topics they love and enjoy. If that’s the topic you are writing about and you don’t enjoy it – you can’t compete with them. They’ll kick your virtual butt with hardly any effort.

Imagine yourself in Cairo, near Sphinx and Egyptian Pyramids. Now imagine a huge glowing title over the desert: “The Internet”.

The web right now is a endless field with pyramids. Each of those is a topic. At the very top of it stand A-bloggers. Those are the people that know that theme in-and-out and they have a great way to shout around (from the top), so that almost everyone below hears them.

You are at the bottom of the pyramid, trying to step up. If you aren’t equally as good as the next guy – you won’t make that step. If you don’t know the topic at hand – you’re going to be walking around the bottom of the pyramid.

But that’s not even the worst thing yet with that goal. Remember it? “Write a blog post a day for 30 days”

The “for 30 days” part might be even worse (or at least on par). You’ve set yourself a deadline when your struggle to write about a topic you don’t know ends.

You are going to force yourself through these 30 days and then finally relax. Ending this awful journey would feel so good that you will never want to return to blogging again.

You’ll be scared of blogging when in reality blogging is really fun. You get to talk to people about interesting things, you get to hear people talking back to you, sometimes very smart people. You’ll get into some fights that won’t end up in emergency and you’ll learn a lot in the process and may even make money.

Don’t outsource your desires to “Goals” – it’s sure way to “Broken Dreams” book. Don’t assume that your “Goals” are actually your desires.

Throw away the goal of “blog a day for 30 days” and replace it with desire to write on the topic you love.

If you want something more physical – open up Google Calendar and setup a daily reminder with an SMS at some time (how’s 8pm for you?) to write a blog post.

Then, when alarm goes off – open up your favorite blogs, read something, write down some ideas while reading, then fire up WordPress and do it! Excite your readers! Burn through their imagination with the images of Great Pyramids and domains blowing back to bits of information the consist of!

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15 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Blogging

I built my first blog back in 2005, and today a large part of my online income is generated from my blogs. Over these years I made many mistakes and figured some things out. Below you’ll find 15 of them.

1. The domain name matters

When I started blogging I didn’t pay much attention to the domains of my blogs. As a result I ended up with some long and boring domains (e.g., FutureTechWeb.com, which was my first tech blog). This is a big mistake because the domain is one of the few factors you won’t be able to change.
The rule of thumb I use these days is to look for domains with two words, branding potential and a .com extension. If I wanted to start a soccer blog, for instance, I would consider domains such as SoccerHub.com, SuperSoccer.com and so on. Most of the times I am also willing to spend some money on the domain (e.g., $200-$500), because finding available ones that fit the above requirements is tough.

2. Quality is more important than quantity

As you can guess by the name of this blog, I have always been a big fan of quantity when it comes to content creation. Over the years, however, my opinion has changed a bit.
I still believe that you need to update your blog regularly if you want it to be come popular, but quality should be your first priority. If you only have two hours to spend writing content every week, for example, I would recommend you to spend all the time writing a single, high quality post, instead of writing four small posts to be published on different days.

3. It is about the readers, and not about yourself

If you are blogging as a hobby, then writing about whatever you feel like is fine. If you are trying to build a popular blog and to eventually make money with it, however, you need to be more conscious about the type of content you’ll publish.
More specifically you need to understand that your content should be appealing and interesting to your readers above all, and not to yourself. It’s about them, and not about you.

4. Social media can be a waste of time, too

Social media certainly became a buzz word over the past years, and people seem to think that they need to have a presence and be active on every single social media site out there. I joined the bandwagon for a while, but then realized I was just wasting my time.
I am not saying social media is useless, but that you need to have the right approach to it, else you’ll just waste your time. For instance, instead of joining every single social network out there join one or two at most, where you think your target readers/customers hang out, and where you think you’ll be able to add value and build real relationships.

5. The Pareto principle applies to anything, blogging included

I have a degree in Economics, so I learned about the Pareto principle years ago. It basically states that for many events and things in life, 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. For example, 80% of the land in the world is owned by 20% of the people, and 80% of the revenues on most companies come from 20% of the customers.
After some years I realized that the Pareto principle also applies to blogging. This means that 80% of your results (e.g., traffic or revenue gains) will come from 20% of your blogging activities. What are these activities? Writing quality content and promoting that content. If you focus on these, the rest will come naturally.

6. You need a community around your blog

Apart from writing quality content and promoting that content, there is one more activity that is very important for your blog, and that is community building. It’s important because without a community your blog will not be a blog, but rather a website with some articles.
Your community will enrich your content (through comments and email feedback), keep you motivated, help to promote your blog by spreading the word and so on.
Practically speaking this means that you should engage your readers with your content (e.g., by using polls, surveys, asking questions and so on), and that you should interact with them as often as possible (e.g., via comments, email, Twitter and so on).

7. Having an email list is essential

When I started, around 5 years ago, I didn’t know what email marketing was. After two years or so I started joining the email list of other marketers, but until then I had not considered building my own.
It was a big mistake.
A responsive email list is one of the most valuable assets you can have. And mind you that you won’t be using it to spam people, but rather to deliver quality content that will solidify your relationship with your subscribers.

8. Giving away free stuff works like a charm

Over the years I have tried many types of promotions, from interviews to viral videos and linkbaits. One technique always seemed to work, though, and it was giving away free stuff.
I have given away WordPress themes, ebooks, plugins, and more recently my entire Internet marketing training program, and the results I got always exceeded my expectations. If I knew this back in the day I would have used it more often.

9. You need to think about the business model

If you want to make money with your blog, you need to start thinking about your business model right away. That is, you need to have an idea or a plan regarding how you’ll produce value, and how you are going to get paid for that.
Having this clear in your mind will help you craft your content, target the right readers, design your blog around your goals and so on.

10. Selling ads is not the best business model

When people start blogging they believe that the best, if not the only way to make money with it is by selling ads. This is not true.
Selling ads might be the easiest way to make money with a blog, but it’s definitely not the most profitable one.
On most niches selling your own product will be the most profitable model you can have, followed by selling other people’s products (i.e., affiliate marketing), so make sure to consider these at least.

11. Shared hosting sucks

When I started my first blogs I obviously went with a shared hosting plan, and since I couldn’t compare it with anything else I thought it was a decent option.
A couple of years later I moved to a dedicated server, and only then I realized how bad shared hosting plans are. The slow loading speeds, the downtimes, the security holes created by other users on your server….
I know we all must start on shared hosting, but as soon as your blog start making some money (e.g., $300 per month or so), consider investing half of that into a dedicated server.

12. Checking your stats daily is pointless

When you build your first website or blog you start checking your stats at least daily (some people go further and check them hourly….). Every new visitor is a joy, and a sign that you are doing something right.
The problem with this is that you are wasting time. Every minute you spending checking your stats is one fewer minute you have to work on actually get more visitors. On top of that daily fluctuations might give you the wrong idea of what is going on.
My advice would be to check your stats monthly.

13. It takes persistence

Everything happens really fast on the Internet, and when you start building your first websites you figure that they will sky rocket (both in terms of traffic and revenues) within a couple of months.
The reality is quite the opposite. While it’s possible, very few websites become popular or profitable before one or two years. If you want to play the game, therefore, come with the right expectations, else you’ll get frustrated and quit too soon.

14. Choosing the right niche is important

Choosing the right niche is critical if you want your blog to become popular and profitable. Sure, you should follow your passion (as you probably heard around…), but you should also make sure your niche is big enough to generate the kind of revenues you are aiming for.
Also remember that some niches will always be more profitable than others, regardless of their sizes. That is because people inside those niches actually buy stuff, so money circulates more freely.

15. Learning the technical part helps a lot

The Internet technology has advanced so much that today anyone can build a blog or website in 5 minutes, with no technical knowledge whatsoever. As long as you know how to read, you are good to go.
This is certainly a positive thing, as it democratizes the access to information and to publishing.
If you want to make a living online, however, it would be a good idea to spend some time learning the technical part. Start with HTML/CSS, and if you have time try learning JavaScript, PHP and MySQL.

Over to the Readers

What about you? What do you wish you knew when you started blogging?

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How To Build Your Credibility As An Expert While Blogging

I don’t run ads on my blog; I don’t do a lot of affiliate marketing. The primary way of monetizing my blog is selling my own products and coaching services in the area of communication skills.
I’ve learned that when your strategy for making money with your blog is to sell something you have created or something you do, then your credibility as an expert is crucial.
People have to trust that you are a professional and that you can provide them something of real value before they decide to buy from you. The amount of traffic you get is not highly relevant if your readers don’t believe you are an expert in your field.
The good news is that there are specific ways of using your blog which reinforce your credibility as an expert. Being passionate about communication, I was eager to explore this topic and test various methods of building credibility as an expert through blogging.
Here are the methods that have worked best for me and I believe will visibly benefit any blogger:

1. Develop Your Expertise, Not Only Your Blog

I think many bloggers skip a step in their search for a source of income. They start blogging and growing their blogs, but they do little to actually be experts in the area they blog about. They revamp ideas they read in books or on other blogs, and then they wonder why readers won’t buy their products.
Up to a certain point, blogging in itself is a way to develop expertise, but I find it to be insufficient. If you want to become an expert, you need to also address this subject separately and use other ways to train yourself.
I worked with my first coaching clients for free and I also had another coach supervising me, before I started calling myself a coach and asking money for my services. Also, I only started blogging and promoting my services on my blog after I’ve already had significant experience as a coach. Putting expertise first did wonders for me and the quality of my blogging.

2. Go Against the Mainstream

In any area, there are ideas that are very popular yet any real expert knows to be wrong. This is why instead of reinforcing the same old ideas, many experts will oppose popular ideas in their blog posts and they’ll debunk them.
Do the same and you’ll develop credibility as an expert. Of course, in order for this strategy to be successful, you need to know what you’re talking about, to pick the right ideas to oppose and to back your claims with hard and smart evidence. Otherwise, you position yourself as a rebellious novice rather than a connoisseur.

3. Write with Depth

Almost anybody can write a blog and offer some general advice, much of which may be impractical or mundane. A real expert stands out because they can talk or write about a certain subject with a lot more depth and go into the fine details that make a piece of advice exceptionally valuable.
In my field, many bloggers write advice such as: “Just be confident”. This kind of advice is too superficial to actually help anyone. I write posts in which I decode the psychological process of acquiring confidence and describe it much more precisely. This is what makes me more believable.

4. Quote Scientific Research

Anybody can make claims on their blog. What separates experts from the rest is the fact they crave solid evidence and they put in the effort to keep in touch with the current scientific research in their area of expertise.
As a result, they often quote research to support their ideas or simply to discuss it, and they do so in a skillful way. One of the most important recommendations I can make is to practice reading and quoting scientific research, at least in some of your blog posts. The more you practice, the more apt you’ll become at using research.

5. Associate with Other Experts

Professionals in a certain field often tend to know each other and collaborate. Prove to your readers that you interact positively with recognized experts in your filed, that they appreciate you, and some of their authority will transmit to you.
There are many ways to do this: you can interact with experts using social media, you can guest post on their blogs, you can interview them for your own blog etc. While doing any of these, keep in mind that the main focus is on truly building trust-based relationships with experts, not on simulating them.
At the end of the day, the most important thing I’ve learning about building credibility as an expert is that it only works if it’s authentic. Expertise cannot be communicated with high impact by faking it. You can only do so if it is something you really have and you know how to tastefully reflect through your blogging.

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8 Amazing Blogging Lessons from Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein has made many amazing contributions to the scientific world, including the theory of relativity, the founding of relativistic cosmology, the prediction of the deflection of light by gravity, the quantum theory of atomic motion in solids, the zero-point energy concept, and the quantum theory of a monatomic gas which predicted Bose–Einstein condensation … and finally he brings us 8 amazing blogging lessons.
Jokes apart, Einstein was perhaps the most influential scientists to ever live, and I would be strange if we could not find some blogging related principles among his ideas, right?

1. Persevere

“It’s not that I’m so smart; it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”
Your blog won’t succeed overnight; success requires perseverance! There’s no such thing as an “overnight success.” What often appears to happen overnight is the result of many years of work.
This is what I call the “silent years” of success. If you can persevere through the “silent years,” then you will qualify to succeed.
Eddie Cantor said, “It takes twenty years to become an overnight success.”

2. Focus

“Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.”
I like to say, you can do anything, but not everything! To succeed in blogging you must give your blog the attention it deserves. If you want a part-time income, then you put in part-time hours, if you want a full-time income, …you’ll have to put in full-time hours.
Focus your efforts, if you want to succeed! Focused energy is power, and it’s the difference between success and failure.
If you never focus your efforts …you won’t have a future, just a longer today.

3. Create Value

“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.”
Don’t waste your time trying to create a successful blog, dedicate your time creating a valuable blog. If your blog is valuable to others, it will succeed.
You create value for others by solving their problems. Your blog must solve people’s problems. You will only be rewarded in this lifetime for the problems that you solve for others.
Labor to be valuable and success will chase you down!

4. Be Curious

“I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”
What you’re curious about is what other like-minded people are also curious about, so blog about things that pique your curiosity.
Don’t write about the mundane, and the obvious; explore your curiosity. Research the unknown and document what has never been documented before.
You have to “think bigger,” Einstein said, “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.”
You have to think differently, he said, “He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice.”

5. Make Mistakes

“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”
Make mistakes; mistakes make you better, smarter, faster, and more relevant. If you’re not making mistakes then you’re not making progress. Get rejected a few times, mess up a few projects, this is the pathway to success.
Want to succeed twice as fast, make twice as many mistakes, run into twice as many obstacles.
Frank Clark said, “If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.”

6. Don’t Be Insane

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
You can’t keep doing the same thing everyday and expect different results. In other words, if your blogging routine is the same from month-to-month, your results will be the same from month-to-month.
In order for your results to change, you must change your actions, to the degree that your actions change will be to the degree that your results change.

7. Expect Opposition

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.”
There will always be opposition. People will oppose your blog, your ideas, and the risk that you’re taking. Zig Ziglar said, “Little men, with little minds, and little imaginations, go through life in little ruts, smugly resisting all changes which would jar their little worlds.” Never let “little men” stop you from achieving your dreams. Great spirits have always encountered great opposition.

8. Play Better

“You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.”
When it’s all said and done, your success will depend on how well you played the game. You must commit to play the game better than anyone else. If you can play the game “better,” you will succeed!

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5 Reasons Why Comparing Your Blog To An A-List Blogger Can Ruin You

Almost everyone has a blog today and the three main things new bloggers want are massive amounts of traffic, tons of subscribers, and lots of money. Let’s stop right there. These three goals are all possible, but in the beginning stages of blogging, they are unrealistic.
Ultimately all they are at this point in the early blogging stages are goals. Its good to have goals, but try to give yourself more concrete goals with a substantial number. Numbers are great, but you should start by looking at a monthly basis with what you would like to accomplish with your blog. So, what’s the ultimate thing holding you back from setting these goals?
You’re reading a blog put together by an A-List Blogger and you see they have 100,000 subscribers marked with a little chicklet in the sidebar, they broadcast their numbers (30,000 visitors a month) on their site to get you motivated, and tell you how great the blogging lifestyle is. That’s all great, but I hate to break it to you. This isn’t going to be you in the beginning stages. This could one day be you, but its going to take quite some time.
What most A-List Bloggers would fail to tell you is how long it took them to get to this point and the countless hours of work they put in until it became something they could call a career. New bloggers make the mistake of looking at what an A-List blogger does and telling themselves, “oh look, they are making money easily online, I can do it too.” Its not that easy and second of all…STOP COMPARING YOURSELF TO THEM. The worst thing you could do is compare yourself to an A-List Blogger. You need to factor in a few things…

1. They have been at this a lot longer than you.

2. Many have been blogging before the internet was the “internet”

3. You need to really put in the effort to get the results – day in and day out.

So, here are 5 reasons why comparing your blog to an A-List Blogger can ruin your blogging efforts.

1. Achieving your goals becomes impossible – You are trying to run before you can walk. If you focus on making a 6 figure income from blogging before you’ve made $10, then you’re never going to reach your potential. You need to think smaller in the beginning. Start off with trying to make side cash from your blog, whatever your goal may be. It might be $10 a week. Try doing that first and building upon it. Maybe a couple of months from now, you will reach $20 a week. Thinking smaller makes the larger numbers more achievable.

2. Putting in the work becomes impossible – A-List Bloggers tend to write a blog post everyday. You shouldn’t get into the mindset that you need to do the same thing. Its better to write 3 high quality posts a week instead of 5 sub par posts. Remember, A-List Bloggers have a larger audience who want that daily content. Chances are with your blog only having a few subscribers in the early stages, those readers aren’t going to be expecting a post everyday. Secondly, its about how you structure the mold of your site. If your subscribers become used to 3 posts a week, that’s what they will expect. Don’t feel the need to do exactly what an A-List Blogger does because you will burn yourself out and will not want to do the work.

3. Fun becomes a thing of the past – Start blogging your passion because its something you enjoy. You hear it all the time and its so true, you should be blogging about something because its an interest of yours and not for the money. The majority of A-List Bloggers started blogging as a hobby because they enjoyed it and they were not doing it for the money. Don’t look at the money as your ultimate reason for blogging. If that’s the only reason you are doing it, then you are going to be disappointed as your blog will have no passion behind it and no money.

4. Become Your Own Blogger - The main point I’ve tried to make clear throughout this post is trying to compare yourself to an A-List Blogger can ruin your blogging efforts. Ultimately, you want to become your own blogger. You want to be a source readers want to go to and trust. Don’t copy an A-List Bloggers style, create your own style and voice – separate yourself from them! Instead of trying to compare yourself with them…network with them; they will talk to you! Pick their brain and learn what has worked for them and implement ideas that sound good to you. Rather than become them, become something that is unique.

5. Frustration becomes a continuous process – Blogging is a frustrating process. Most of the time, the things you are trying to accomplish are not going to go the way you want them to. I’m sorry to say it, but that’s blogging. You need to keep trying new and innovative things with your blog. The minute you stop doing this is when your blog becomes like every other blog out there. A-List Bloggers are always changing things up, but don’t do what they are doing. The things that they are doing may not work for you. Instead, pay attention to their habits and pull together fresh ideas that work for you. If you stick to the same idea and give up when something doesn’t work that’s when blogging becomes too much of a frustration and you sit there wondering how do these top bloggers do it?
Look at it this way, no matter what you do, those A-List Bloggers are always going to be at the top of the food chain. They have been at it a lot longer. You can’t expect to be at their level from the beginning. You can eventually build up to that level or somewhere along those lines, but don’t EVER compare yourself to them. It doesn’t matter what they do, it matters what you do and you decide what defines success. You need to feel accomplished with what your producing and not worry about what another blogger is doing. Believe in what you are producing and people will care.

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7 Tips to Keep the Blogging Fires Burning!

You know how in the beginning of a relationship everybody’s interested and interesting? How we keep up our appearance? How we interact, engage and put forth our best effort?
Then with some time and familiarity we tend to take things for granted. The fun factor fizzles, or we simply lose steam. Or perhaps our attention is diverted by some other “new and shiny object.”
Well, the same thing happens with blogging.
Here’s the scenario.
In the beginning you work hard to create posts to bring people to your spot. You appear at the popular social media sites in hopes of “making friends and influencing people.” You’re consistent in your blog updates.

After awhile, you find you’ve hit your stride!
Your followers increase, you have repeat visitors, and your amount of comments are encouraging. Eureka, you’ve found success!
That’s the honeymoon stage.
Fast forward.
It’s a year later, or two, or five. And your blog has the excitement factor of a tax audit.
It’s like a ghost town. The activity level has dwindled and so has your motivation. In the words of singer Roberta Flack, “Where is the love?”
Don’t despair. It happens. But you can resurrect a dying blog and get back that lovin’ feelin’ with a few creative, strategic steps. Here’s how.

1. Take a break. That’s right—put up your “gone fishing” sign on your site, and disconnect. Take time to cultivate new ideas, to relax and rejuvenate. Sometimes absence makes the heart grow fonder.
2. Survey or poll your readers to assess their interests and to determine your future direction.
3. Schedule guest bloggers to bring a different perspective and new energy to your site. Which bloggers do you admire? Start there.
4. Study and analyze your most popular previous posts. What was the common denominator? Were they posted on Tuesdays? Were they technical in nature? Rev up that traffic by doing a repeat performance!
5. Post interviews with prominent people in your niche. A good rule of thumb is to diversify your content so readers won’t get bored.
6. Don’t be afraid to court controversy. (Remember the Dixie Chicks and President Bush)? Sometimes “stirring the pot” can have hot results!
7. Respond to comments. To cultivate an active blog community, it’s crucial to be responsive to readers’ questions and comments. There’s great truth to the expression, “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” .

Follow these seven tips to keep the blog fires burning, and most importantly to avoid burn out!

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5 Bad Blogger Habits You Need to Break

Habits are behaviors you repeatedly do day after day. Some are good, some are bad. They transcend in all different areas of your life, including when you blog. Here are five bad blogger habits that you want to avoid or stop doing to become a better blogger.

1. Checking your stats and comments 100 times a day

As a beginning blogger it is not uncommon to be obsessed over your web traffic and comments. Of course you want a lot of people coming to your blog, a lot of people linking to you and you naturally want as many people as possible commenting on your posts. That doesn’t mean that you have to check your stats every 10 minutes.
This habit will waste you a lot of time that can be channeled in much more productive activities for your blog. Set aside a time of the day where you check your stats. My suggestion would be twice a day. Once in the morning and some time late afternoon. Use that saved up time for producing more content or networking with other bloggers.

2. Not replying to comments

When people are leaving a comment behind on one of your posts, see that as a compliment. They were emotionally compelled to leave feedback behind, good or bad. What I see is that most bloggers never respond to them. If there is one big thing that helps in building loyal readers, it is responding to comments on your blog. It shows you care about them, even to readers who didn’t leave a comment behind.
Don’t go overboard with responding to every single comment, but definitely respond to comments that are requesting your opinion or respond to commenters who leave valuable comments behind. If you don’t know how to respond then a “thank you” can go a long way.

3. Inconsistency in posting

It is a common mistake for new bloggers to start publishing a lot of content in the beginning phases of the blog and then take a break. That’s the wrong mindset to have and a bad habit. Avoid a “blog hiatus” as much as possible. You don’t want your posting schedule to be irregular.
Be consistent. Besides the fact that search engines love regularly updated websites, readers will love you for it too. By publishing on a consistent basis readers will look forward to reading your content. If you are new to blogging, pick one day where you will publish a new post and make the commitment of sticking to that. Don’t set the bar too high. Start off with one day and stick to it.

4. Not giving credit where it is due

I see too many bloggers copy and paste ideas and works of others without giving any credit. This is not a good way of building credibility. It’s very easy on the Internet to trace back to original sources and you will get called out on it. Give credit where credit is due. Mention the source where you got your idea or work from. Linking out to others is also not a bad idea. It is actually a great way to get on your fellow blogger’s radar and use that as a starting point to network with him or her.
This issue not giving credit especially goes for using copyright images. Verify to make sure you can use the images in your posts. There are a lot of resources (like Flickr) to get free images as long as you credit the producer. Search for Creative Commons copyrighted images. You can use those images without the producer’s consent as long as you give credit to the producer.

5. Not proofreading your posts

Nothing bugs a reader more than reading a post full with typos, grammar mistakes and a train of thought that does not go anywhere. You lose credibility and professionalism when your post contains a lot of typos and grammatical errors. Typos can easily be avoided by using a spell checker.
Make it a habit to proof read every post before you publish it. Do it especially when you are not in a hurry and you can focus on proof reading. A good way to proof read is to read your post out loud and do the editing along the way. What is even better is if someone else can proof read your post.
About the author: Thanh Pham is a time management nerd. He enjoys writing about time management over at AsianEfficiency.com, where you can find techniques, tips and tricks to become more productive.

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How To Fake It Till You Make It In Blogging

Building an active community around a new blog can often seem like an uphill struggle. You’re constantly working to create the best possible content and to promote your site yet often the initial returns are meagre. The fact is that most websites experience a “snowball” effect where the results can be slow to start but over time you will start to see your readership, natural inbound links and commenters increasing at an ever-increasing rate.

The problem is how to get to that exponential growth phase in the first place. After all, the internet is littered with “dead blogs” that have been forgotten by their owners due to lack of results. And even a blog that is still being worked on can look a bit sad with a feed readership of just 5 people and a total of two comments since it was launched (one of those being from your Mom).

It’s important to appreciate that “social proof” of the value that your blog brings is important and social proof can either be positive or negative. Visit a blog with hundreds of comments, a massive readership, a well-known name and so on and you’re likely to sit up and take notice. The evidence suggests this is a blog worth reading even before your eyes have glanced at a single article.

But the reverse is also true. And that’s what this article is all about; quite simply how to build up your blog without it suffering from “digital tumbleweeds” that are driving away the few visitors you currently receive.


Blog Comments
Blogs are built for comments; they’re built for discussions and interaction and a blog without that discussion is going to give a bad first impression. Worse, as anyone who has ever tried to start a forum will attest, getting your first few commenters is hardest. Nobody wants to stick up their hand and be first in line. But blogs that already have a number of comments are far more likely to receive additional comments both because of the “social proof” factor and because of course there is already a conversation going on. More comments mean there are more things for other people to comment on and so on.
There are a number of ways to deal with the lack of comments on a new blog.
The first is simply to turn off the comment function until you manage to build up a significant readership. Then once you have lots of people visiting you can turn comments back on at which point the discussions can start. This is simple enough to do but there are risks involved. One example is that if you operate in a niche in which there are lots of blogs your visitors will no doubt expect to be able to comment. Not giving them the ability to do so may frustrate or annoy some people, reducing the odds of them returning.
A second option is to start a blog comment contest. Offer up some kind of prize for the “top commenters” at the end of the month to encourage people to start adding comments. I took part in a contest like this last year where I spent significant time adding content-rich and useful comments to a new blog and ending up winning an iPod Shuffle for my efforts. Let me assure you there was quite a bit of competition so this method clearly works.
Commenting on other blogs can be helpful as many bloggers will check out the websites of those people who comment on theirs. We all know that commenting can drive traffic so there is a good chance they will return the favor and comment at your blog hoping to generate extra traffic as a result. So load up your feed reader and take some time each day to comment on other blogs.
There are a number of free plugins that will display comments about your content that have been made elsewhere. For example if you tweet about each of your new posts then Twitoaster will gather any retweets or comments relating to that tweet and display them as comments beneath your blog post. If you make a video version of your content and upload it to YouTube then the Genki YouTube Comments plugin will draw any videos comments that get placed on YouTube and display them as normal comments at the end of your blog post.
You can also use a number of WordPress plugins to reward your commenters. Examples of these include the Top Commenters plugin to show who has commented the most, the CommentLuv plugin to offer a do-follow link to any commenters blog and KeywordLuv which allows these links to be keyword rich.
Whatever you do ensure that you are actively requesting comments such as ending your blog posts with a specific question you’d like your readers to comment on and try to respond personally to every comment made.

Feed Readership
If you use Feed Burner then it’s easy to display a button that shows how many people subscribe to your blog. If it says you have 28,000 readers then paste it up nice and prominently because it’s another form of social proof to show how popular your blog is. But why do people add this same little widget when it says there are currently just 16 subscribers to your blog?
Until your subscriber numbers get into the hundreds I would strongly advise you *not* to display your subscriber stats publically even if indirectly anyone interested can find out your readership through Google Reader.

Twitter Followers
In a similar vein it is possible to use TwitterCounter to display how many followers you have on Twitter and of course the higher the number the better. So again until your follower numbers grow it’s best not to display these figures.
However this is one area where you have a degree of control. After all, when you start following other people a percentage of them will start to follow you back so simply by searching for, and then following, people with similar interests you can quickly grow your Twitter following.
Whatever your opinions on such software there are also automated solutions that with a few clicks of your mouse will start to find and follow hundreds of other tweeps. In a short space of time this can grow into a significant number of followers, at which point TwitterCounter can start to become beneficial to your results.

Post Regularity
Blogs that don’t get updated look unloved and forgotten. If I visit a blog that hasn’t been posted to in months (or even years) then I take it as a sign that the information on it may be dated, that the owner doesn’t really care about it and so I’m far less likely to visit it again or subscribe for updates. Why would I if there simply aren’t updates being made?
As a result of this, even if you currently only receive a trickle of readers try to post on a semi-regular basis at the very least so at most a few weeks have gone by since your last update. The more content you’re adding the more reason there is for your existing visitors to actually bother subscribing.

As Featured On…
One form of social proof that you can have some control over is who your blog is associated with. There isn’t always a direct link between the quality of your blog and the traffic that you’re receiving and it’s possible to leverage your great content into higher traffic and more community through th use of guest blogging.
If you really know your subject well and put the effort into your writing then there is no reason you can’t get some guest posts featured on the top sites in your niche. Doing so will not only offer direct traffic as a result of people clicking on the link to your website that is added to a guest post but also by association you will gain credibility. If you’re featured on ProBlogger for example then Darren Rowse thinks you know a think or too about blogging and other readers will pay more attention to you.
Furthermore you can add a section at the top of your blog navigation panel that displays a list of the authority blogs you’ve been featured on. If I see you’ve been mentioned or featured on the top 5-10 blogs in my niche you better believe you just increased my interest in digging deeper into your blog.
In closing try to think of your blog from a new visitors perspective. What do they see? What is the first impression? Does your blog suffer from “digital tumbleweeds” or does it give the impression of an active and valuable resource – irrespective of your current traffic levels?
What have you done to “fake it till you make it” on your blog? Are there ideas or suggestions you feel we’ve missed? Please leave us your opinions in the comments form below…
About the Author: Richard Adams writes about gaining freedom over your time by earning passive income online. Visit him today to download your free copy of his WordPress Traffic Explosion ebook from Lifestyle Design Unleashed.

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Why Blogging Helps Me To Build A Healthy Relationship

Married twice, experienced pain as well as joy and pleasure in my relationships – I’m definitely far from perfect when it comes to the ladies. I continue to strive for an ever increasing level of understanding and togetherness.
The most significant gain I’ve had over the past 8 months is how I better understand myself and the growing realisation of how blogging about the subject of healthy relationships actually leads to having one.
So what’s the top level advantages?

• You think seriously what you’re writing about – and concentrate more
• You’re openly expressing these thoughts to the world
• Honesty and truth
• Feedback from people you don’t even know
• Relationship growth from perfect strangers

Seriously?

Think about it for a moment. How many of you really consider what your relationships are all about? When you put your head down to write a blog post, you engage concentration, research and dwell on the subject to a much more intense degree.
When you write a blog post on relationships, the same mechanism comes into play. Take, for example, the area of simply how you communicate with your spouse. How many of you even give that more than a cursory thought? If you were to write about it, your brain springs into deep thought on exactly how , why, when and the reasons around your communication.

Do you think this is bound to make a difference in your every day spousal chatting? You bet it will!
Relationship Openness
When you’re blogging to the world, it’s an open book to everyone in your own world as well.

Blogging about relationships that are dear to your heart will mean you’ll also be expressing your true thoughts. Wow, that might well be something completely foreign to some people. Coming from the perspective of openness and honesty is the ultimate compliment you’re able to give your partner.
Relationship Truth
Just for openness above, truth is a byproduct.
And one person’s truth is another’s point of potential disagreement. You’re going to find this rips open your relationship to it’s very core. View it as a positive though. You’re going to gain some great learnings from how your partner perceives your truth when compared to their own.

Look at the middle ground. What compromises are you prepared to make so your beloved is in a healthy relationship with you. And the reverse is also true; what are they prepared to do to make you their happy and contented partner?
Comments and Growth
The ultimate in feedback is when you get it from people from all walks of life and points of view. You write from your own experiences and think you’ve got validity as well as being on the right path and all of a sudden, BAM, someone from another part of the world slams you into perceiving another paradigm.
It’s really a wonderful feeling knowing you’ve got a world full of experience ready to tell you the way it is, from their point of view. Never has there been an age when the relationship world is your oyster; to better yourself as well as your understanding of your partner and the intertwined feelings between both.
While we all gain from thinking within ourselves on how best to improve relationships and communication with our partner or spouse, I’ve found additional gain from blogging about the very same subject.

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Are You Making These Five Common Blogging Mistakes?

You’re trying to get your blog off the ground. You write diligently, you keep publishing new posts, you check your stats obsessively – but you’re just not seeing the success that you expected.
I’m pretty sure that you’re doing a lot of things right. You’re showing up, you’re working hard, you’re reading about blogging and trying your best to use what you learn.
It’s hard, though, to remember everything. It’s hard to always get it right. Today, I’m going to go through a few all-too-common mistakes that bloggers make when posting. None of these are hard to fix. But, for your readers, they can be deal-breakers.
Are you making any of these mistakes?

Mistake #1: Writing Posts With No Point

If you’re blogging seriously –aiming to make money, to promote your business, and/or to gain a readership – then every post you write needs to have a point.
Too often, I see blog posts that aren’t going anywhere. They’re like journal entries: this is what happened to me today or this is what I’m thinking about. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that – if you want your blog to be a personal journal. If you’re hoping to reach a wider audience, though, your posts need to have a point.
That means that each post should:

• Have a clear topic, reflected in a compelling title
• Deliver something valuable to the reader – whether that’s entertainment or information

Mistake #2: Posting Inconsistently

A lot of bloggers start out posting daily – and then end up letting weeks go by without a post.
You don’t have to post every single day. Yes, many large blogs do (it’s Daily Blog Tips for a reason…) but when you’re getting started, you can post once a week or even once every two weeks.
What’s important is that you post consistently. Figure out a comfortable writing routine that works for you: maybe two posts each week. Ideally, you want to give yourself a bit of slack, so that you can get ahead and “bank” posts for busier times.

Mistake #3: Forgetting to Proof-Read

When you’re rushing to get a post out – or when you’re getting really into your writing – it’s easy to go so fast that you hit the wrong key, or accidentally type the wrong word.
Your readers won’t expect your posts to be flawless – but they will be put off by constant typos and spelling mistakes. If your posts look sloppy and slap-dash, this reflects badly on your content: you might be an expert in your subject, but readers won’t have much confidence in your words.
After you write a post, take a few minutes to read it through. Even better, swap draft posts with a fellow blogger: it’s often easier to spot other people’s typos than your own.

Mistake #4: Ignoring Formatting

Every so often, I’ll come across a blog that looks like a dull mass of grey text. The blogger might have written a brilliant post – but I probably won’t read it (and the same goes for other readers).
Make your post look attractive, so that readers don’t get put off before they’ve even begun. Use subheadings, bold text, lists, and short paragraphs to improve readability: the more white space, the better.
And if all of that sounds like too much work, at least bump up your font size. This one tiny change can make a huge difference.

Mistake #5: Publishing Without Promoting

Your blog could be full of laugh-out-loud anecdotes and brilliantly-valuable information … but that’s no good if readers never find it.
When you publish a post, don’t just sit back and think that you’ve finished. You need to promote that post – which could mean Tweeting it, mentioning it on Facebook, emailing it to any friends who might be interested (don’t overdo this), asking a few other bloggers to link to it, entering it into a blogging carnival, mentioning it in your guest post bio… and so on.
Are you making any of these five mistakes? Or have you got your blogging sorted? Share your blogging successes – and lessons learned – in the comments below…

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The 6 Ugly Truths About Blogging

Not many people like to hear the harsh realities of blogging. I didn’t want to either.
Like many people, I read some of the top personality development blogs online. If there is one message everyone has to say in common, then it is “Think positive.”
In my opinion something’s in life are better said than kept silent. One of those is the reality concerning blogging.
It took me a long time to understand the how’s, the why’s the when’s of blogging and online business. I have given up blogging 2 times in the past. Then I started to focus on the facts. This has helped me sustain my blogging as well as online business. And, I want to help you too.

Ugly Truth #1: Blogging isn’t Easy

If you regularly read blogs, or have been blogging for any length of time, you’d straight away agree with me that “blogging isn’t easy.”
It takes a lot of time to set up your blog (idea, research, hosting, design, schedule, content creation), and even more time to see it build some momentum. You have to create compelling content, read and comment on other blogs, learn SEO, and write guest posts, network with other bloggers and so on.
However, blogger burn out happens faster than most people anticipate it. Lot of people lose sight of their goals when they don’t see traffic coming their way. You can’t be blamed. It’s just human nature. We want results. Our actions are inspired by results.
We need motivation to do something. If you are working on a 9-5 job, then maybe it’s the paycheck that motivates you. Sometimes it may be the work culture or even the job itself that motivates you. Whatever you do, you need to be constantly motivated. It’s no different with blogging.
When you start blogging you are really motivated and super excited. How can you be not so? You are doing it for the first time. You are thrilled by the experience. Your expectations are sky high.
Six months down the road, you still do what you were doing when you started off. You are yet to receive loyal readership or feedback. It’s kind of de-motivating. I know. I have been through it when I launched my first blog. My second blog also had a short life. Heck even my third blog suffered the same fate.
Success happens when you slowly learn to swim against the flow. You keep pushing until you reach your goal. When you exercise, you keep pushing yourself to do an extra set. Just like that, when you think you have failed, you keep on pushing until success is in sight.
Take away tip: Authority blogging takes a while. If you need instant result, either become a celebrity and start blogging or develop patience. It takes 1 or 2 or even more number of years to achieve success.

Ugly Truth #2: Blogging Isn’t a Viable Business Model

Let’s face it, blogging is not a viable business model. Sure, you can be a web publisher and make money by selling ads on your blog, but this won’t be a business per se. Plus, the people who can make significant money with this model can be counted on a the fingers of your hand.
A better way to see it is that a blog is a tool to promote your business. Not the business itself. So you need to have a product, a service, or something else that you sell/offer to your customers.
If you want to build a successful business, then you need to use the blog to build trust, authority, generate leads and build customer relationship.
Take away tip: Blogging should be taken as a means to boost your main business

Ugly Truth #3: Blogging isn’t all about you

Many blogs about blogging advice people that your blog reflects your personality. They tell that a blog is all about you, you and only you.
Well, I’d like to say a blog is all about them, them and only them. Who’d I refer to as them? “Them” are the readers who visit your blog.
If people came to your blog because they liked you, then they’d be interested in your personal life as well. Try posting articles about your personal life and you will soon see people going away. This is because people come to your blog for niche specific contents. They want advice, tips and a little bit of motivation.
If a blog is all about the author, then I’d say problogger would be dead by now. How many posts does Darren from problogger post these days? Many of them are guest articles. Yet, problogger is as heavily trafficked as ever.
Take away tip: Blog with your readers in mind. Not your personality.

Ugly Truth #4: You don’t need to interact much with your readers

Reader interaction is supposed to be one of the holy grails of blogging.
Reader interaction happens most when people comment on your article. But do you really need other people’s comments on your blog?
It depends.
Most of the time, people comment on your blogs only to get a link back to their blog. There are some exceptions though. You’d argue that we must give some sort of recognition to people who take their time to comment on our blog.
Would you really want to be thankful to someone if they hit your son with a truck and then later rescue him with the intention of getting money from you for saving your kid’s life?
I don’t want to portray other bloggers as criminals or something. It’s just that not all posts are worth commenting and not all comments are worth publishing. You have to be judicious while allowing comments and also while commenting on other blogs.
If the reader needs to ask something, let them use the contact form. If they have some outstanding contribution to make, let them provide it through the contact form and you edit the post and include it. You are now giving more value to the person who shares his ideas.
If you want to build a community, building a forum is much better where your readers can freely interact with each other. Having a forum section for your blog is also a good move.
Take away tip: Don’t worry too much about reader interaction. Provide them quality content, gather feedback and improvise.

Ugly Truth #5: Practice doesn’t make you perfect

Many writing blogs offer this advice. Write, write more and write even more.
I really don’t understand the concept. If you mix the wrong ingredients in the lab to make a new compound, you simply can’t make it. What use is it to do it over and over again, only to fail each time?
You must use some sort of feedback mechanism to constantly improve your process workflow. If you keep repeating the mistake, you get better at making the mistake, not avoiding it.
Take help from your friends, family members or even pay others to give constructive criticism. Forums are a great way to gather feedback for your site. And, it is absolutely free as well.
Take away tip: Use a feedback mechanism to improve your blog.

Ugly Truth #6: You don’t need a lot of blogging advice

Sad, but it’s the truth. You don’t need to read blog tips every-day. Keep the basic points in mind.

• Understand and listen to your readers (Using analytics, feedbacks etc)
• Write quality content and killer articles
• Promote your blog posts through guest posts or other means
• Observe what others in your niche are talking about

I am not saying that you shouldn’t read the tips online. It’s good that you have an understanding about these tips because it worked for some. But, it needn’t work for you.
The only thing you need to do is start doing things your way. If you keep reading articles about blogging and wait for the right moment to start a blog after grasping everything, that moment will never come.
Nothing can teach you better than experience. Go ahead, try blogging your own way, and see what works and what doesn’t work.
What do you think will add to the list of ugly truths? Do you think some points aren’t as ugly as I make it out to be? Speak up!

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The Most Overrated Piece of Blogging Advice I’ve Ever Heard

“Blog every day.”
That’s what I was told, when I started out three years. It’s probably what you’ve heard too.
And now, I think it’s massively overrated advice.
Why?

#1: You’re Wasting Your Time

When you start out as a blogger, you have very little traffic. Virtually no-one is reading your posts.
Of course, you need to get some content in place before you start promoting your blog – but this really isn’t a case of “build it and they will come”. Your blog is all but invisible. Instead of pouring hours into writing daily posts, write two posts a week and spend the rest of your time promoting them.
Do It:
For every hour you spend writing for your blog, spend an hour on promoting your work (e.g. guest posting, commenting, interacting in forums, using Twitter and Facebook).

#2: Your Posts Are Poor Quality

Some bloggers can turn out a great, content-rich post every day.
Most can’t.
If you find yourself writing something – anything – just so that you can hit “publish” before midnight, then you’re doing it wrong. Why would anyone want to read a post that you threw together just to meet your own arbitrary targets?
Do It:
Spend longer on each post – and look out for common blogging mistakes. Draft your post, then wait until the next day to edit it: your subconscious mind will keep working on it in the meantime.

#3: Readers Don’t Necessarily Like It

Have you ever unsubscribed from a blog because it posted too much?
I have. In fact, I’m much more likely to unsubscribe because a blogger posts too often than because they post too infrequently. I’ve stayed subscribed to Skelliewag because Skellie’s posts are so insightful – even though she often goes months without posting.
Daily posts could be overwhelming your readers – especially if you’re trying to write in-depth posts that deliver huge value.
Do It:
Ask your readers – do they read every post? Would they prefer fewer posts?

#4: You’ll Burn Yourself Out

You probably have a day job, or a family, or school work … maybe all three! If you’re trying to maintain a daily blogging routine, you may well find that you last for a month or two before simply giving up.
It takes time (often years) for a blog to gain traction, and you want a posting rhythm that will work month after month.
Do It:
If you’re starting to feel burnt out and jaded, then take a break. Tell your readers that your blog is on hiatus for two weeks – and give them some links to old posts so that they’ve got something to read in the meantime.
Now, you can probably name plenty of very successful blogs that post daily, or even more frequently than that. (Daily Blog Tips might come to mind … ) So why’s it working for them?
Well, daily posting can be a perfectly good strategy – if you have the right sort of blog.

When Daily Posting Does Work

Successful blogs with 5-7 posts a week typically have one or more of the following:

#1: Guest Posters
Although Daniel does most of the writing here on Daily Blog Tips, you’ll also notice frequent guest posters (like me!) popping up. The same goes for almost every big blog with daily (or more) posts.
ProBlogger typically posts twice daily now, but more and more of those posts are coming from guests. Copyblogger has a new post every weekday – but they not only have guest posters, they also have several staff members (Brian, Sonia and Robert).
(Of course, taking guest posts can actually end up costing you more time because of the admin and editing involved: I recommend reading Managing Guest Post Submissions Efficiently so you can keep things simple and streamlined.)

#2: News-style Content
Big tech-related blogs have to keep their finger on the pulse – which means that they need to have at least one post per day. Often, though, news posts are short and succinct: they’re not evergreen content that’s intended to stay relevant for months or years.

#3: Short, Focused Posts
It’s easier to keep up a daily posting rhythm if your readers are used to short posts that deal with a single topic or idea. Think of Seth Godin, for instance. Bite-sized chunks of information can be popular … if you have the knack of being concise and avoiding waffle in your writing.

#4: Blogging for SEO Purposes Only
If your blog’s main purpose is to get traffic (perhaps so readers will click on ads, or so you can promote your product) then daily posting could be a good strategy. You might simply be trying to build up a lot of content on your site – and you don’t care if you lose readers’ attention.
So … should you be posting daily? Unless you’ve got a team of guest-posters, or a real need to stay up-to-the-minute, or an audience that demands short, snappy content … then I’d say no.
I’ve seen so many bloggers end up disillusioned and burnt out because they followed the advice to post daily, and it got them absolutely nowhere.
For most bloggers, one to three posts per week works well. Even one post every other week can be enough to keep up the momentum for you and for your readers.
I’m sure this is a topic that’ll stir up some strong opinions … and I’d love to hear your point of view in the comments! Have you tried daily posting? Did it work for you – or did it lead to burn out?

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Legal Risks to Be Watchful for When Blogging

What better way for one voice their opinion to the whole world than through social media and blogging? Thanks to advancement in technology, today one can voice their views and opinions in an easily accessible way at the convenience of their home or office. But just because there is freedom of speech and expression does not mean you should abuse the rights of free writing; there are some legal aspects that need to be considered before you post anything on the World Wide Web. Here are the top 3 risks that you should be very careful of when you want to start blogging.

1. Defamation

Defamation can be described as false statement or assumptions that can cause harm and embarrassment to another person or party. Unless you want to be involved in a vicious and unending legal battle, it is always advisable that you verify all the sources of information you use to ensure you give credible information; information that you can back up with tangible proof and evidence should it be required in a court of law. Telling the truth is one thing, but proofing it in a court of law is a different (and sometimes very difficult) thing altogether. Before you click ‘post’ in your blog, ensure you keep this in mind.

2. Intellectual property

Respect to intellectual property available online is equally very important. Intellectual property in this case can be in form of videos, images, or text which are protected by copyrights. Never publish anything that you don’t have full legal rights on. Should you use anything that does not belong to you, always ensure you provide appropriate links and the right acknowledgement of the author?

3. Confidentiality

Never divulge private and confidential information on your weblog, whether you have tangible proof or not, and whether you post anonymously or not. For instance, never post information about your employer on social media and blog. You could unknowingly or knowingly be giving out information that your employer sees as very sensitive business secrets. Giving out such insider information can interfere with the competitive edge of your employer. It goes without saying that a lawsuit could ensue. Actually, statistics indicate that most internet-related lawsuits are filed by employers and large business corporations.
Here are some quick tips and some accepted journalistic practices that will help you avoid problems on your blog.

• Always get consent of all businesses or individuals you plan to cover in your blog. Try to give them an opportunity to respond to what you have to say before you post for the whole world to see.
• Should you publish something and it turns out erroneous, and the concerned party asks you to publish corrections, always ensure you publish the clarifications and link them to the initial erroneous post.
• In case you make a mistake, you should admit and offer your apologies at the earliest available opportunity. This way, you will have some bargaining power should a legal action be taken against you. You will also attract more loyal readers as you will be seen as an individual of integrity.

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12 Ways To Encourage Your Visitors to Stay

We all want more traffic, more loyal readers, and more sales. I know I do. For most of us our blog is the precious stone we chisel our artwork into. We slave over making our website as good as we possibly can and don’t want our work to go unnoticed and unappreciated. I know exactly how you feel and that’s why I’ve put together 12 ways to compel your visitors to stay.
Whether you’re looking to increase your readers loyalty, improve your website’s accessibility and friendliness, or build a community these tips will help you achieve your goals.

1. Simplify your websites navigation - You should focus on the most important elements of your website and display those in your navigation and eliminate the rest.
It can be very confusing and annoying to make visitors click on everything.
Your navigation should give them clear direction to what your site is about and how to navigate it.

2. Choose an engaging color scheme – Your website should have two or three primary colors that stand out.
You want to break your content apart and allow your audience to see your website as different sections of content
Don’t overdo it though. Too many colors can turn visitors away as quickly as it can entice them stay.

3. Use images to break up the content and add personality – Images have a way of speaking to people the way that words never can.
Use images to convey emotion and draw your audience in.

4. Make your websites header (logo) and tagline stand out – It’s one of the first things a visitor sees on your site and can make your site look either professional or glued and pasted together.
Your headline and tagline should be clean and clearly display what your website is about.

5. Add more calls to action – A call to action is simple and often only a sentence long.
Ask people to comment, twitter your post or take some other action.
Whatever you decide to do get them in the habit of taking action.
In fact don’t forget to comment at the end of this post

6. Create strong, emotional headlines – Other than your posts picture your headline is immensely important.
If your posts title doesn’t get any attention readers aren’t likely to click on your little read more icon.
In fact they will probably ignore your post all together.

7 . Simplify your readability – While your content may make perfect sense to you it doesn’t mean your reader gets it.
Most readers want the information they are looking for to be easy to read, highly memorable, and easily accessible.

8. Offer more at the end of your post – Your post was absolutely amazing, now what?
Did you add a related posts section, a call to action or a request to comment?
If you want people to stay engaged give them more of what they want, or they’ll find it somewhere else.

9. Use sub headlines to break up your content – Most readers like to skim content. I know I do, and I bet you’ve done it too.
If your writing a long post or speaking on multiple topics break your content up with bold, larger, or different color sub headlines.
You’ll please the skimmers and the loyal audience, and most likely get more return traffic.

10. Change your content or change your audience - Your content may be great, monumental even, but if your audience isn’t reading it then you may need to change your audience or change your content.
If they’ve already heard your content a million times over by everyone else, then you need to teach it to an audience that hasn’t heard it as much and wants to learn it.
Or create fresh and new content for your existing audience.
The reason teachers have students is because students don’t know as much as their teachers.
If they did then we’d have no schools.
You need to find fresh minds to grow and build relationships with, which brings me to my next tip.

11. Create a monthly post questionnaire – You know it all don’t you? I know I do (just kidding
Writing a post every month or so and asking your audience what’s most important to them will do wonders for your blog or business.
It’s about as direct as you can get.
Ask them to comment about what’s on their minds, what they need the most help with, and what they think you can do better.
It will help you uncover topics, and idea’s you’ve never thought of “guaranteed!”

12. Build relationships with peers – We all love the A list bloggers, but building relationships with those that are at the same level as us is a great way to gain additional insights, followers, and contributors.
It helps you expand your reach, get your name into the blogosphere, and become known.
One of the best things about sharing idea’s with those in your niche is the motivation that you get.
It helps you reshape your thinking and build new principles to help you reach success.
If these tips have helped you than please contribute in the comment section with your own tips.
I’m sure it will not only help me improve, but help those that read your comments as well.
Your participation is just as important as this post! Thanks again, and have a great week

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