I think that most of the posts here at Tumblemoose have an impact on bloggers who are looking for a little more in terms of being an inspired writer. There are two sides to this coin. There are a lot of writers out there who have blogging web sites and even if they are an excellent writer, they may not understand some of the intricacies of successful blogging.
The difference between writing and blogging
Writing is a sub-component of blogging. Depending on your goals however, I would put forth that you can’t stink at one and be successful at both. If you are the queen of killer content writing but have no idea how to drive traffic, then no one will ever see your killer content. If you are a socializing, monetizing, trafficking, SEO guru who couldn’t write their way out of a paper bag, then your blog is heading south as well. There is great quality out there, and you may be able to bring people to your site, but you’re going to have to live with a bounce rate of 100%.
It is critically important for you to understand the difference between writing and blogging.
I’m no expert, but:
I’m approaching the six month birthday of Tumblemoose. A lot of blogs don’t make it this far. I plan on being here for a long time so I work very hard at producing excellent content. I also know what needs to be done in order for people to have access to my content. I know how to manage my blog. I’m a sensitive kind of guy and when I feel like people aren’t reading my stuff, I get unhappy. I don’t LIKE being unhappy so I do my best to make my blog accessible. I know if I make my blog accessible, people are able to read what I write and everyone’s happy. Yee haw.
I know that you know that there are almost as many posts out there about how to blog as there are dollars in a spendulus stimulus package. Don’t think for a moment that I’m going to give you anything mind blowing in the bullet list that follows. I’ll address this to the writers that have either not taken the time to implement these strategies, or the ones who think for some reason the strategies do not apply to them.
Successful blogging
- I’ll start with your web design. Do your self a favor: If you are serious about blogging, lose the Blogspot free page, pay the ten bucks or less per month for hosting and go get a WordPress theme. Don’t argue, just do it. You need a REAL domain name and an interface that makes it easy to blog. Don’t choose a cute theme, pick a realistic, professional one.
- Find appropriate products you like to promote on your blog through good affiliate programs. Carefully strike a balance between advertising and content.
- Post on a consistent schedule. 3 – 4 times a week is recommended.
- Spend time each and every day, seeking out others in your niche and spend time reading, commenting and absorbing those posts. I cannot stress enough how important it is to comment on other web sites. It gets you out there, and it is one of the very best ways to
- Build your community. Develop a core group of like minded folks with whom you can interact and provide the support necessary to make it through any down times.
- Learn about Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Oh, and use it! Use one of the many plug ins available for this purpose.
- Register your blog with all of the appropriate services including Yahoo, MSN, Google, DMOZ, and Technorati. Also, check out this great list of 50 free blog directories.
- Guest post on other people’s blogs, and have them guest post at yours.
- Link to sites in your niche, and don’t be afraid to ask them to link to you.
- Use links within your content to enhance your reader’s experience.
This list is far from complete, but if you should follow these tips, you will be far ahead of any competition.
I see that I have a lot of reading to do here on your site. Thanks for the useful information. I have been blogging since June 2007. Before that I didn’t even know what a blog was. I was blessed to find a blog online that I liked so much that he and I started an email friendship. After a short while, this new friend asked me why I didn’t have a blog. He said that I was as good a writer as he was and I had a lot of knowledge that was worth sharing. Then he told me that he had published an ebook that would take me step by step through the process of setting up a blog. The rest is history.
Except for a few months ago when I had a health issue that slowed down my writing, my blog has slowly growth in numbers of subscribers. The growth has been in a slowly upwards direction. I realize that my topics—spirituality and incest—are not topics that everyone would be interested in reading about. The readers that I do have are very loyal and that means the world to me.
Every so often, I receive recognition for my writing from other bloggers such as Barbara Swafford, Slade Roberson, Spiritual Blog, Alex Blackwell, and a few others. Because of my limited technical skills, my blog appearance is as simple as can be. Maybe it is time for me to work on the technical skills part of blogging. I will be back to read more of your articles. Thanks.
Patricia – Spiritual Journey Of A Lightworker´s last blog post..Kindness—Why Is It Easier To Be Kind To Strangers?
Hi Patricia,
Thanks for your thoughtful comment. If there is anything I can do to help you on your journey then please let me know.
George
Re: “build a community” if I could advise new bloggers of one thing it would be “you have to give before you get” and remember to be gracious and considerate towards others.
I totally agree on the importance of commenting. I used to think that my time would be better spent writing, but commenting has benefited me in so many ways. It’s not just getting the traffic and being noticed, it helps me come up with new ideas and feel a part of a real community.
Tracy´s last blog post..Baconnaise – A Review and a Contest!
Tracy,
Yes, yes, YES! Giving is the surest way to receive. I’ve met so many great people by doing that and opportunities will present themselves like you have never imagined.
True words from the hardest working lady in show business, folks.
Cheers
George
Thanks for these great tips. The list of blog directories is especially useful. A key part of being a successful blogger is just getting people to your site to read what you’ve written. These links will definitely help with that.
Evan´s last blog post..Chicken Tortilla Casserole
Hey, Evan.
Yeah, I love that list of blog directories. That’s my project for this afternoon.
Cheers!
George
Excellent points, George. I could do better on SEO. I could guest post more often (extra hours in the day, please!)
I totally, totally agree with an official domain and paying for WordPress hosting. I know there’s a ton of folks who are better at blogging than me, but I’m learning as I go and lovin’ every single minute of it. 
*smiles*
Michele
Great ideas. There are indeed certain things you need to be good at to be a great blogger. Blog promotion is one of the most important things a blogger needs to learn.
Shirley – Velvet Blues´s last blog post..Is Your Search Engine Optimization Expert Legit?
Hi Shirley,
Thanks for dropping by and contributing. Blog promotion is important and it is constant. You simply cannot take a week off from it without some consequences.
George
The most surprising thing I’ve learned about successful blogging is how time consuming it is!
Like you said, writing 3-4 posts a week is ideal — but if you have 3 blogs (like I do) and a job (I’m a freelance writer, which does give me more time than if I worked in a daycare, for instance) and a life (like most of us do), that’s a tough row to hoe. And, if you want to write quality posts, it’s even harder!
Commenting on others’ blogs can be time-consuming, too — especially if you say something that requires thought and energy. My goal is to comment on others’ blogs more often….I love getting comments, so I really need to spread the love around
Thanks for this post, George!
Laurie PK´s last blog post..6 Website and Blog Building Tips
Hi Laurie,
I do get how time consuming it is. I spent 10 hours on Saturday and Sunday updating my blogs and commenting. It is rewarding and exhausting all at the same time!
Always glad to see you here Laurie.
George
Laurie couldn’t have said it better, George. Time. There just isn’t enough of it. I’m trying to juggle seven sites right now, plus writing work for editors and clients, plus all the other stuff in my life, plus queries, responding to gig ads, invoicing, etc. It’s insane, eh? So, Laurie brings up excellent posts. Just because we don’t post 3-4 times a week doesn’t mean that we don’t have ideas for those posts–we just can’t squeeze them in. And commenting on others’ blogs does take a lot of time, especially if you enjoy reading about a variety of things and feel like you should comment–at least part of the time.
What is a writer/blogger to do, eh? LOL
*smiles*
Michele
Michele´s last blog post..Featured Health Site: Hillbilly Heaven Herbs
Michele,
I understand. And it is so obvious from the great designs and posts at your sites that you care about quality stuff. That makes it harder still!
I hope the time spent is worth it, because from a readership standpoint, I appreciate all of the work that you put into everything.
Now quit lounging around and get back to work.
george
Thanks, George! I truly appreciate your appreciation.
Ah, who is lounging around, eh? Certainly not little ole me! LOL
*smiles*
Michele
If all goes well, I’d be moving to WP next month. Not because I’ve read this post, but because I’ve wanted to do so myself. I’ve started on the wrong foot by shacking it up with blogger. Now, I’m about to make amends.
50 blog directories. Oh, lots of work, I see. I’ve submitted to only a few so far. “,)
jan geronimo´s last blog post..A Tale of Three Cracked Ribs and One Little Rascal
Very informative post, especially to a new blogger like me. I’m in the process of switching from the free page to hosted now. Thanks for the info!
Heather @ Just Doing My Best´s last blog post..Check it out!
Jan,
That’s awesome. I do think it is an important step to take.
George
Hi Heather!
Thanks for dropping by, it’s nice to have you here. I hope the switch goes well for you and if I can ever help with anything just let me know!
George
I haven’t a clue what I’m doing – yet. It would be interesting to know how many, if any, successful bloggers started with a blogspot. I read posts on blogspot that give the big strong bloggers something to blog about. I really enjoy reading and commenting – I’m a loyal little soul. After only one week I have started appreciating good layout and easy to use blogs. Okay, I want one.
Paisley´s last blog post..Pattern Potential – It’s Everywhere
Hi George,
So true. Being a blogger does not necessarily make us a writer, nor do some bloggers want to be writers.
I love your “successful blogging hints”. I agree, if anyone is serious about blogging, a little bit of money needs to be spent on a web host and maybe even a theme (although there are many great free ones out there). It’s unfortunate, but many of the Blogspot blogs are not taken seriously, plus the extra steps needed for commenting can often deter some from sharing their thoughts.
I’m off to tweet this.
Barbara Swafford´s last blog post..How to Write to Blog Lurkers
Barbara,
Thanks for having a look at this post. It had been a while since I’ve looked at it, and if I say so myself, it really is a good post!
I do find the commenting process very frustrating, since when I am in the commenting mode, I have a lot of blogs to comment on and not necessarily a lot of time to do it. Mostly, when I see the blogger logo anymore, I’m apt to just pass on by. Unfair, I know, but it is the reality of being a very busy blogger.
Cheers!
George
Thanks, George. This post had quite an impact on me. I’m good about some of the things on your list but not so good about others.
At first I resisted your message. I have three blogs now (plus a Web site) and just trying to keep them all fed with content is a lot of work. I felt I didn’t have time for some of the bigger stuff on your list, such as switching over to WordPress. I went away thinking, “I know he’s right, I just don’t have the spare time for that.”
But a few days later I found myself making the decision to Just Do It. I’m starting with my newest blog so there won’t be as much material to move. I bought the domain name and picked a template (found an outstanding one that I’m really excited about) and right after my upcoming mini-vacation I’ll be hard at it, becoming a WordPress blogger. I can’t wait!
I’m bookmarking this post so I can revisit later and make sure I action all your bullet points. Thanks for the push!
~ Milli
Milli´s last blog ..Spiritual Short Stories – A Heartfelt Conversation with Chris Cade
Milli
Good for you! I know you’ll be happy with the decision.
Now, I’m no expert but I’d be happy to help you with any of it if you need a hand. Just let me know!
That’s awesome.
George
Hello Mr George! Nice post. I wonder: has the SEO really made a big difference to your site or do you think it would have picked up traffic without it? Do you have any non-confidential graphs or stuff of traffic? It’d be interesting to see how things go through the first six months (since most people reckon it takes about that long to make a mark).
Since I never have time for much SEO, any advertising or registering on blog directories (such is the fate of full-time carers, I suppose!), I wonder how things compare. Maybe I should stop faffing around on Twitter and actually do some of that stuff, eh?
I’m off to write my way out of this paper bag, now. (Made me laugh, that!)
SpikeTheLobster´s last blog ..10 Stupid Mistakes On Twitter
Thank you, George! That’s very kind. I just might have some questions for you, after I’ve finished moving stuff from the old blog site to the new one.
Milli :~)
Milli´s last blog ..Spiritual Short Stories – A Heartfelt Conversation with Chris Cade
Spike,
You’ve got this great ability to crack me up. I’m really liking the writing style and your straightforward manner.
I’m not certain that SEO has made a difference. My stats tell me very few visitors are from the search engines – I would suspect part of that is being a very teensy fish in a ginormous pond.
I think balance is the key. Put an ad or two on Scrawlbug and see what happens. I think it’s a good idea to stay with Twitter as well. I’ve grown all of my Twitter traffic organically and I get some pretty decent traffic from it.
I’ll take a pic of my first six months analytics and email that to you.
Thanks for stopping in!
This is a great start to what could become a VERY long list. There are so many little hints and tips that come together to create ‘effective blogging’. Being able to write is no longer necessary in and of itself since, if you’re good at the marketing side, you can hire professional writers. Many businesses are beginning to discover this for themselves.
I think the next trick for many of us who are writers first and bloggers second is to learn to outsource.
10 hours over the weekend is very conservative, George! How do you schedule your days so that you are getting the most out of the limited time?
Rebecca Laffar-Smith´s last blog ..Information Overwhelm
Hey Rebecca,
Nice to see you here. I agree with the writing point – which is kind of good news for us freelance writing types as it means more opportunity for work.
As far as the 10 hours goes, I apologize for not being clear. The ten hours I spend on the weekends is in addition to the 50 or so I spend during the week. Bottom line: I’m working 7 days/week
Cheers!
George
AH! Now that sounds more like I’m used to. *chuckles* I can relate since I’m working similar hours. When freelancing, although we do have more flexibility for which hours we work, I’ve noticed we tend to spread those hours over seven days instead of keeping them to five. It is easy to work longer and harder hours when you’re not stamping a time card when you check in and out.
Still, it’s a shame. I was hoping you’d have some fantastic ways to be super efficient and get a week’s worth of blogging maintenance into 10 hours on a weekend. lol Wishful thinking I guess.
Rebecca Laffar-Smith´s last blog ..Book Review: Can I Change Your Mind? by Lindsay Camp
If you DO figure out how to do that then let me know! I’ll jump on that bandwagon any ol’ day of the week!
Cheers!
George